


Back to the Way We Are

by totallyrhettro



Category: rhink - Fandom
Genre: Allusions to Major Character Death, Alternate Timelines, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Falling In Love Again, First Kiss, Fixing the past, Frottage, Gay Sex, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Happy endings guaranteed, Homophobic Language, M/M, Medical, Time Travel, discussions of assault, rhink, teen rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-04 13:31:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 41,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14021319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totallyrhettro/pseuds/totallyrhettro
Summary: All Link wanted to do was fix the past, but can he live with the future that he has created?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story jumps around a bit taking place in mostly 2016 and in the summer before Rhett and Link's sophomore year. As the story beings everything is the same except they have no wives or children.

Rhett McLaughlin didn’t hear his alarm go off, like he usually did each morning. Instead he woke up naturally, consciousness slowing pulling him away from a very strange dream. As he sat up in bed, rubbing the crusty sleep from his eyes, he tried to remember what had been so odd about it. Link had been in it, but that wasn’t new. His best friend often featured prominently in his dreams. After all they had been friends for over thirty years and co-workers for almost half of that. He saw him nearly every day so seeing him in his dreams was neither weird, nor unheard of.

Shrugging, the tall man sighed and put the dream out of his mind. He didn’t have time to think about it, or to try and remember it. It wasn’t working anyway. Glancing at the clock confirmed his internal suspicions; he was late. Still he didn’t rush. Running late in his current job wasn’t as big of a deal as his last job. His boss wasn’t going to fire him for not showing up on time. One of the many perks of being one’s own boss.

Ducking into the shower he quickly got to washing his body, only rinsing his hair and forgoing his usual shampoo routine. It would be fine. He didn’t have to wash his dark blond hair every day; he could get away with missing a day or two. After brushing his teeth, and sculpting his hair up into his signature pompadour, he ran his fingers through the whiskers of his beard. They were getting a bit long but trimming too could wait. He kinda like the bushy look anyway and he sure as heck wasn’t ever going back to being clean shaven.

Just as he was putting on his grey Henley shirt to go with his dark, skinny jeans, he heard the familiar sound of a car horn being beeped outside. Rhett recognized it immediately as the company car. Right on time, his friend was outside, waiting to drive them both to the Mythical Entertainment Studio, where they would be filming a few episodes for their YouTube show.

Slipping into a pair of sneakers and grabbing a loose coat to go, Rhett headed outside where a silver FJ cruiser sat at the curb, waiting for him. A slightly shorter man sat at the wheel, with dark, brown hair and blue bespectacled eyes. Charles Neal, nicknamed Link, waved at his companion as he headed down the sidewalk towards the car. It was a bit over enthusiastic; he probably had too much coffee this morning. That too was a common occurrence.

“Morning, Link,” Rhett greeted, settling into his seat.

“Hey, Rhett! How are you?” His smile was very infectious. He was clearly excited about something, but what specifically Rhett could only guess.

“Good. Sorry I’m late. I was having a weird dream.”

“Yeah? What about?”

“I don’t remember. I think you were in it though.”

“Yeah?” Link repeated, his smile becoming a crooked grin. “Wonder what I was up to.”

“Trouble, I’m sure,” Rhett chuckled. He buckled his seatbelt and adjusted it over his chest. Glancing over at Link, he noted his buddy hadn’t taken the car out of park yet, but was looking him over, as if waiting for something.

Whatever it was, apparently it didn’t happen because after a moment, looking slightly disappointed, Link sat back in his seat and turned to face the road. Concerned now, Rhett’s smile faltered as he gave his friend a look.

“Everything ok, Link?”

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.” With that, he put the car into drive and pulled away from the curb. His cheery disposition had dissipated a bit too quickly, but Rhett didn’t press the issue. If Link said he was fine, he obviously didn’t want to talk about what was bothering him.

They didn’t chat much on the way to the studio. Rhett did his best to force small talk and Link, for the most part, joined him. Once at work, they headed for their shared office just up the stairs. Rhett sat down right away at his desk and opened his laptop. Link, on the other hand paused at the doorway, looking over the place, scrutinizing it closely.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Rhett asked. Something was definitely up and he wanted to make sure Link was alright. The brunet forced a smile before settling into his own chair across from Rhett’s.

“Fine. I’m ok. Sure. No problem.” Now Rhett was certain something was wrong but, once again, if Link didn’t want to talk about it….

They sat there awhile, answering emails, checking twitter and things, without a word exchanged between them for quite awhile. Link kept sneaking glances up at Rhett, oblivious at how unsneaky he was actually being. Finally, Link shut his computer and folded his hands over it, staring right at his friend as if contemplating what he was going to say. Rhett just waited, no longer typing or reading anything on his computer.

“Are we cool?” Link asked, finally. Rhett blinked. It was not the question he had expected, though he wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. He couldn’t recall being in a fight with Link recently, certainly not one that hadn’t eventually been resolved.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” he asked back. Link didn’t seem satisfied with this response at all, biting his lip.

“You know I love you, right?” Rhett smiled somewhat awkwardly, but kindly. They very rarely used that word to describe how they felt about each other. It was always a bit too mushy. Still, as the absolute best of friends, they did love each other, even if they didn’t say it. As friends, of course, nothing more. If Link was saying it, he must have needed some reassurance and Rhett was all to happy to provide.

“Of course. I love you too, buddy,” he said. He thought that would help Link get out of whatever kind of emotional funk he was having, but instead the man just frowned.

“Buddy?”

“Yeah, you’re my buddy, my pal, my best friend.” Still Link didn’t smile.

“We’re friends?”

“Sure, Link. Always.”

“We’re just friends?” This question gave Rhett pause. He didn’t understand at all.

“Well, we’re best friends. More than that, I guess. We’re like brothers, Link. Is that what you mean?” Friends wasn’t quite a big enough word for what they were. They had met in first grade, grew up together and were practically inseparable. Closer than close they did everything together, and Rhett was very happy to have a friend like him. Was Link questioning this now?

“Friends…” Link repeated.

“Best friends,” Rhett corrected. A long stretch of silence passed between them. Rhett didn’t know what else he could add. He didn’t feel like he needed to explain their friendship; he thought it was obvious. After a minute or so, Link stood up and walked over to the other man’s desk, bending down beside him so his head was right level with Rhett’s.

“Rhett?” He was starting to make the blond man nervous now. What was going on with him?

“Link?”

“Do you ever think we could be-”

**RING!**

Both of them jumped at the sound. It was Rhett’s cellphone. It rang once more before he took it out of his pocket and answered it, happy for the diversion. Link’s gaze was starting to become disconcerting.

“Hello?” As Rhett listened to the person on the other end of the line, Link slunk back to his desk and sat down, looking slightly flustered. “Hey, babe.”

“Babe?” Link whispered to himself, not knowing that the other man could hear him.

“I didn’t forget,” Rhett was saying. “I’ll pick you up at six. Alright. See you then. Buh-bye.” As he hung up and put the phone back into his pocket, Rhett looked over at his friend who now looked on the verge of tears. “Link? Come on man, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“Who was that?”

“Just Jessie. Wanted to remind me of our date tonight.”

“Date? Is she your… girlfriend?” Rhett gave his friend a very confused look, answering with a bit more sarcasm then was probably necessary.

“Uh, yeah, Link. Has been for awhile now.” How could Link have forgotten? Rhett and Jessie had been dating for a few years. It definitely wasn’t new. “Are you sure you’re ok?” Instead of answering, Link got to his feet and made for the hallway. His eyes were red, like he was holding back tears.

“I just need to be alone…”

“Link if something’s wrong-”

“I’m _fine!_ ” he shouted, despite the contradictory evidence, and stomped down the hall. Rhett just watched, dumbfounded at his friend’s behavior.

‘ _What the hell?_ ’ he wondered. With a sigh, he got to his feet and followed out of the office. He wasn’t sure where Link went and it took him a few minutes of wandering around their huge studio to even find signs of where his best friend could be. Stevie, their head producer, told him she saw the brunet dashing into one of the larger bathrooms, crying.

“What happened?” she wondered, as Rhett followed her pointing hand.

“I’m going to find out,” he replied, hoping it wasn’t a lie. He didn’t understand what had happened and he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to get his lifelong friend to tell him.

The bathroom door was shut and locked, which Rhett expected but hoped wouldn’t be the case. He tried the doorknob anyway. When there wasn’t an answer he knocked with more of a fist then his knuckles.

“Link? You in there, buddy?”

“It’s all wrong!” Link shouted, his voice cracking slightly. “It’s all fucked up!” Link rarely swore, definitely never at work. Rhett glanced around hoping none of their employees heard.

“Link, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“Everything! You. Me. _Us._ I fucked it all up and now we’re… _not!_ ” Confused and getting frustrated now, Rhett knocked and jiggled the door handle again.

“Let me in and we’ll talk about it. I can’t help you if you don’t-”

“I did this. I went back, I screwed everything up and I just don’t know how to fix it.” The door stayed locked. “I thought maybe it would be ok, that it wasn’t as bad as I thought, but we’re not even… and you’re…. I mean… Are you even…?”

“Am I even what?” Rhett gave up trying to get Link to open the door and just leaned against it, trying to hear more than just the other man’s words. He could hear things being moved around and soft sniffling on the other side. At least Link was talking now.

“I thought I could do this,” Link continued. “That I could fix this. I thought…” He was full on crying now. It was quiet, but Rhett could tell and it was heartbreaking. “I need you, Rhett. I need you to be with me.”

“I’m right here, Link. I’m always here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“No, Rhett. I… I _need_ you.” There was a ceramic thump as Link sat down on the toilet seat. His sobs getting louder and Rhett couldn’t take it.

“Please, Link. Open the door. I’m right here, okay? I promise, but I can’t help you if you won’t let me in.” After a few seconds of agonizing silence, Rhett finally heard the door lock click. He waited a second to make sure Link wasn’t in the way before opening it slowly.

Link sat back down on the toilet, tears streaming down his face. He couldn’t seem to look Rhett in the eye. Rhett normally wasn’t big on hugs, but he knew when his friend needed one. Kneeling down he wrapped his arms around Link and help him close. He was surprised when the six foot, thirtyeight year-old man practically melted into his arms, but he didn’t bat an eye. He only held him tight, not letting go until he felt his friend eventually pull away on his own.

“You know I’ll always be here for you, right?” Rhett asked as Link’s tears finally seemed to stop. Link nodded, grabbing up a wad of toilet paper to dry his running noise and wet face. “You never have to worry about that.”

“I love you, Rhett,” the brunet muttered, not looking up.

“I love you too, brother.” Rhett rubbed the side of Link’s arm softly. He had stopped crying, but he still looked so sad. Rhett wasn’t sure what else he should do. What else he _could_ do.

“Can…” Link hesitantly began. “Do you mind if I skipped work today?”

“Sure, Link. Whatever you need. I’ll tell the crew you’re not feeling well. It’s no biggie. Everyone needs a break now and then.” That seemed to cheer Link up, however slightly. He nodded and got up, still not looking at Rhett, and left the bathroom.

“I just need… some rest.”

“You can take the car. I’ll ask Eddie to give me a ride home. He’s always good for it. Call me if you need anything, ok?”

“I think I just need to handle this on my own.” Link didn’t say goodbye, or spare a farewell glance towards his friend. His head hung low as he made his way down the hall, no doubt towards the parking lot. Rhett still wasn’t sure what had brought this on, but he hoped it was just stress. They had been working awfully hard lately. Maybe Link just needed some time to himself. Surely he would be fine after a day or two. He would be fine and everything would go back to normal.

Right?


	2. Chapter 2

> _A journey back to change the truth_  
>  _When life turns upside down_  
>  _Mistakes once made in days of youth_  
>  _Undone next time around_

Normally Link would feel bad about skipping work when there was so much that needed to get done. Normally he’d be self conscious about crying in front of his employees, or confusing them by leaving without giving any explanation. Normally he wouldn’t hold back anything from Rhett, or lie to keep things from him. Normally he wouldn’t be acting this way, but right now things weren’t normal.

At least, not as far as Link believed. No one else could tell anything had changed, not even Rhett.

_Rhett…_

Rhett didn’t notice, didn’t remember.

‘ _How could he not?_ ’ Link asked himself as he got into his car.

‘ _Why would he?_ ’ came the obvious response. Of course Rhett didn’t remember. For him, nothing had changed. Everything was as it was supposed to be, but for Link there was one very important difference.

‘ _And he has a girlfriend._ ’ Link played the scene over again in his mind, listening to Rhett on the phone with some woman that he didn’t know. The frustrated brunet still couldn’t believe it. He figured some things would be different, but little things. Not… _that_. His best friend had seemed so unchanged, but if he had a girlfriend then he was not the man Link knew. He was not the man he was supposed to be.

Link didn’t drive home. There was no reason to. It wasn’t a nap that he needed, but solutions, and there was only one place he could think of to get them. The place that started this crazy journey. The place responsible for the current messed up state of reality.

‘ _It’s your fault,_ ’ his mind reminded him. ‘ _It was you that screwed everything up._ ’

‘ _I had to go back. I had to save him._ ’ The fact that Rhett was alive and well meant that Link had done the right thing, that he had succeeded in saving his best friends life. But at what cost?

As he pulled into the parking lot of the small, ordinary strip mall, Link mulled about this. He had thought that when he realized the truth of what had changed that he could live with it. More importantly, Rhett could live with it. Rhett would _live_. In the end, that was the important thing. That was what really mattered and Link tried to handle the rest along with it. Maybe he could hint, maybe he could coax, maybe he could turn things back to the way they were before he changed everything, but then the girlfriend....

Link slammed his palm into the steering wheel. Why couldn’t he just be cool? Why did he have to have a breakdown at work? Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he tried to calm his racing heart. Freaking out more wasn’t going to help. Not him and certainly not the situation.

He looked up at the shop in front of him. Brick, like the rest of the shops here, it looked rather unremarkable from the outside. A slight amethyst glow passed through the dark curtains covering the windows and a neon sign in the window flickered ‘open’. The name of the place wasn’t even advertised anywhere. If he didn’t know any better, and hadn’t been here before, he might not have even notice the place at all.

A small bell hanging just above the door rang as Link walked into the place. There weren’t any customers; he doubted they got very many as the place seemed known only through word of mouth. The strange purple light radiated from a subdued aura that permeated the small space, but he could never tell exactly where it was coming from. Shelves lined every wall, filled with strange bottles, boxes and plants of various sizes and shapes. He wasn’t sure but he thought one of the larger flowers was moving on it’s own; he told himself it could have been a breeze despite there being no moving air around. The floor was covered in several area rugs, over-lapping to fill in the odd corners and the ceiling had a few more hanging from it like tapestries.

At the far end, across from the entrance was a glass counter, displaying a few more strange artifacts that Link could only guess the purpose of. Several crystals of different colors took up most of display, with a few small bits of other things mixed in. There was a small skull in there as well; it gave Link the chills to think about what animal it could have possibly come from. Hopefully it wasn’t human, but he couldn’t be sure.

“Was there something else you needed?” came a voice, startling him from his inner thoughts. He looked up to see a thin woman looking over at him. Her eyes, made to look larger with thick, round glasses, were a very dark blue. So dark the iris and pupil were almost the same color. A black bandana was wrapped around her head and she wore a matching black dress embroidered with lilac stitching reminiscent of a spider’s web. She probably had just come from the back room, but it definitely seemed as if she appeared out of thin air. Considering what else she was capable of, Link wouldn’t have been surprised.

“I need to go back,” Link stated. It wasn’t a question. It was a fact.

“Only one trip per person,” she reminded him, busying herself with a stack of books behind the counter. “Those are the rules.”

“You don’t understand, I have to fix-”

“Did you save his life?” she interrupted, looking up at him. “Is he going to be alright?”

“I think so. He’s not in the hospital so-”

“Then there is nothing to fix. His fate was changed as promised.” Link felt his breath become heavier as he stepped around the counter and grabbed the woman by the wrist.

“I need to go back. You _have_ to send me back.” Despite Link’s intense expression and tight grip, the woman didn’t even flinch. If he had been thinking straight, he would have known better than to threaten her, but he hadn’t been thinking straight for some time now.

“You knew the risks when I sent you the first time,” she told him. “One trip. Once back, once forward. No more.” With surprising strength, she pulled herself from his titan grasp and stepped back. “And no refunds.” As she went back to putting her books away, Link fumed. He was angry with her, but he was more angry at himself. She had given him everything he'd asked for, and it was entirely his own fault that things had changed the way they did. He couldn’t blame her for refusing his request.

He couldn’t stop himself from asking again.

“What do I have to do? Tell me what to do and I’ll do it. I have to go back and fix what I did. He’s alive but… I can’t just…”

“One trip per person,” she said again. “Now if you aren’t going to buy something, please leave. I have work to do.” Link felt like taking the books from her hands and tossing them all over the floor. He felt like smashing the neatly arranged display case, or knocking over the rows of shelves. Luckily he still had _some_ self control. Defeated and even more depressed than before, he sulked out of the shop and went to his car. That had been his last hope to make things as they were supposed to be. As they were meant to be. As he _needed_ them to be.

~~~

Rhett was still worried about Link by the time he left for his date. He couldn’t get over how the man had acted. Link had never had a break down like that before; Rhett couldn’t even remember the last time he’d seen the man really cry, let alone in public. Hopefully he just needed some rest and relaxation and then he would be back to his old, cheerful self. If not, he would at least stop bottling stuff up and talk more about his problems. Rhett hated feeling so helpless when his best friend was feeling so low.

Even as he sat across from Jessie, his girlfriend, Rhett couldn’t help but think about Link. The beautiful woman, with black hair and gentle eyes tried to not to be annoyed by the fact that her boyfriend wasn’t really into this dinner date, but it was getting old.

“Is something the matter?” she inquired.

“Hmm?”

“You’ve barely said three words to me since we got here, and you’ve hardly touched your food.” She motioned towards the plate of chicken before him. It had been there for several minutes now and he had only taken a few bites so far.

“Sorry, I’m just… I’m worried about Link. He….” Rhett slumped in his chair with a sigh. “I think he’s overworked or something.”

“You two _have_ been working a great deal, lately. I haven't gotten to see you very much this past month.” She placed her hand on the back of Rhett’s. “I’ve missed you.” Her smile was sweet and sincere. Rhett smiled back. He didn’t mean to neglect their relationship for the sake of work, but with the Good Mythical Morning show, his and Link’s newest main channel video… things had been hectic. He turned his hand over and held her’s gently.

“I’ve missed you too.” He meant it. “Things should calm down now. I’m sure everything will be back to normal in no time.”

They finished their meal, talking about little things and avoiding any talk about Link or work. It was a lovely evening and pretty soon it was time to drive Jessie home. He walked her up to her front door and stood awkwardly before it as she unlocked it.

“Do you want to come inside?” she asked, tilting her head none too subtly. Rhett licked his lower lip, considering it. She did look very beautiful tonight, and it had been sometime since they had any real time alone. Raising a single eyebrow, he nodded and followed her into her apartment.

She led him to the couch in the living room, turning on only a single lamp as they passed by. They didn’t need much light right now. They slipped off their shoes as they walked, hand in hand, Rhett’s heart beating faster in anticipation. Sitting down beside her, he leaned in close, pressing his lips against her neck. She smelled so good, wearing that perfume that he always liked. Purring happily, she cupped his jaw and pulled him close. Rhett closed his eyes as he moved in to kiss her mouth. Everything was perfect and he couldn’t wait to take things further.

Just as his lips were about to touch hers, he suddenly smelled something else. Something a bit more… masculine. Before he could figure out what it was, their lips met, but something was wrong. Her lips felt amazing, soft and sweet, but it wasn’t quite right. Rhett shifted his mouth, going through the normal motions of kissing and he felt something that most definitely should not have been there.

Stubble.

His eyes flew open.

“Something wrong, Rhett?” Link asked, looking up at him with his bright, blue eyes. Rhett jumped up off the couch, blinking rapidly. When he looked again, Link was gone and in his place was Jessie, where she had always been. “Rhett?” She repeated.

“I… Um….” Rhett couldn’t think straight. He had been so certain that Link had been sitting there, kissing him and not Jessie. He could have sworn and yet…. “I think I may be overworked too.” His girlfriend still looked confused, but also concerned now. She patted the spot next to her, asking Rhett to come back.

“I can take your mind off work, if you like.” She looked so sultry, so inviting, but Rhett didn’t want to take the chance. Maybe Link was more on his mind that he thought. He didn’t want to risk seeing his best friend in place of his girlfriend while they were doing something else.

“I think I should just head home,” he concluded. He risked leaning down for a quick, chaste kiss, keeping his eyes open this time. Link didn’t reappear. “I’m sorry, babe. Another time?” Jessie was obviously disappointed, but agreed all the same.

Rhett felt guilty about leaving his date so abruptly, but he thought staying could have worse consequences.

‘ _That’s all I need,_ ’ he thought to himself as he headed home. ‘ _To see Link while I’m making love to my girlfriend._ ’ He wondered why he had seen Link when he was supposed to be making out with Jessie. He chalked it up to stress and worrying about his best friend. Surely that was all it was. No need to dwell on it any further. Yet even as he lay in his bed, trying to get to sleep that night, he couldn’t help but wonder...

It had seemed so real.


	3. Chapter 3

When Rhett was younger, he’d had a hard time coming out. He didn’t even hint at his alternate sexuality until college when he confessed his dark secret to Link. They had been alone in their dorm room when he admitted he was into guys. Link had been more than supportive, telling his best friend he too was gay and not only that, had been harboring a crush on his blond for friend some time now. A few tentative kisses later and a whole new world opened up for the two of them. A world of being together, boyfriend and boyfriend. A world of touching, caressing, holding each other tight. A world where they were deeply, truly in love.

At least, that was how Link remembered it. He remembered them dating all through college, moving on from hand holding to lengthy make out sessions. From uncoordinated hand jobs to messy blowjobs. The first time they had sex, it wasn’t exactly romantic as they struggled to figure out how it worked with two guys. Still, they got through it. Together. Eventually the awkwardness disappeared; with trust and understanding they learned how to make things work both in and out of the bedroom. Over the years they continued to learn and grew closer. They lived together, they worked together, they thrived together. Nearing forty, the two men were closer than ever. All seemed to be going perfectly and nothing really stood in their way.

But their happy ever after began to pull away.

It started small, little things that alone didn’t seem like a big deal. Rhett started waking up with a stiff back. This wasn’t odd. He’d had back problems for years most likely because he was so tall. Visits to the chiropractor usually helped, but this time it didn’t seem to do anything. He tolerated it, ignored it. He didn’t like going to see doctors. When he got headaches almost everyday, he ignored that too, figuring it was just stress or lack of sleep. Working on Good Mythical Morning hadn’t been that bad lately, and he had been sleeping just fine but still… He let it slide.

Rhett thought the pain would go away, that time would heal whatever was wrong. He didn’t want to worry Link, or his co-workers, so when his back got worse, he didn’t speak up. When he started getting light headed now and then, he brushed it off. He refused to believe there was something seriously wrong. Looking back, Link wished he had been more observant, paid more attention to how his best friend and lover was doing. Honestly, he didn’t think there was anything to worry about either.

The day Rhett collapsed on the set of GMM during a taping, shaking violently, Link had never been so scared in his entire life. For a moment he just watched, unsure what he should do. It was so sudden, so out of nowhere, and he had never seen someone have a seizure before. Luckily some members of the crew weren’t so frozen and called 911. By the time the ambulance came, Link was on the floor, holding Rhett’s head in his lap. The seizure was over, but the blond man was still out cold.

Link had been so sure Rhett was dying then and there.

He recovered from the episode within a few hours, but that was just the beginning. While they ran tests - blood, MRI, the works - Rhett got worse. They put him on strong medications for the pain, but other symptoms started cropping up. He got weak. His arms and legs started feeling so useless, he could barely move. He started hearing things, things that weren’t there, then seeing things too. He felt like he was going insane and Link was helpless beside him. Link could hold his hand, never leave his side, but there was nothing he could do about what was going on inside Rhett’s head.

Eventually the doctors told them Rhett had a syringobulbia, basically a cyst growing inside of his brain. It had been there for years, decades, slowly growing over time, collecting fluid until it was big enough to start putting pressure on the cranial nerves in the medulla of the brainstem. There were a lot of large words tossed around and Link was having a tough time following, just waiting for them to say how they were going to fix it. That’s all he wanted to know.

_Fix him. Please just fix him._

The only solution was brain surgery. The very phrase made Link nervous. One misstep in that area could cause serious damage, or worse, but he had to believe they could make him better. That everything would be alright. The doctors weren’t confident. The cyst had been there so long, lodged so deep, it was going to be a very delicate procedure. They couldn’t promise anything but there wasn’t anything else they could do but try.

Rhett was trapped between a rock and a ravine. If they did the surgery, he might die. If they did nothing he _would_ die. There was no choice. No question. They had to do the surgery.

The surgery took many hours and ever after that they wouldn’t let Link see him right away. They threw more large words at him. His hands were shaking as he finally heard a few he not only understood, but dreaded.  
 _Internal bleeding. Inoperable. Matter of days. We’re sorry._

It couldn’t be true. This couldn’t be real. The doctors left him to come to terms with what he had learned, but he just couldn’t process. In such a short time his life had been turned upside down. One minute he and Rhett were living happily ever after and the next… The next minute he was being told he was about to outlive his life long friend.

Finally he was allowed to visit Rhett. The tall man was still asleep as Link sat down beside him, holding his hand, not sure what he was going to say when Rhett woke up. As he listened to the soft beeping of the heart monitor and watched the slow rise and fall of his love’s chest, he felt something inside him snap. He started to cry. He wasn’t a crier. Rhett had always been the one to shed tears at sad movies, or emotional stories. Now Link couldn’t seem to stop bawling his eyes out. He knew someday he would be here, at his boyfriend’s death bed, but that wasn’t supposed to be for many many years, when they were old and grey. Not now. Not like this. There was still so much they wanted to do, to see and experience. So much… together.

After the funeral, Link found himself at the Cape Fear River alone, Rhett’s urn in his arms. This had been Rhett’s last request and there was no way Link wasn’t going to fulfill it. Not far from away sat two large boulders. He remembered them sitting on those two rocks, talking about the future. The future they were supposed to have together. It seemed like so long ago now; they were so young, so innocent back then. Now, as Link clutched the ceramic capsule containing the remains of his friend, he wasn’t sure about his future. His future was supposed to be with Rhett and now Rhett was gone. Without him what was the point? What was the point of anything?

Link gently poured Rhett’s ashes into the waters, watching them be quickly absorbed into the cold, flowing river. Some of the ash floated off into the sky, carried off by the breeze. He hoped Rhett was happy, where ever he was. He wished he was with his lost companion, and he wasn’t sure he could wait to see him again.

Good Mythical Morning had stopped. It stopped the day Rhett went to the hospital and there was no way Link was going to continue filming after his reason for being was gone. He didn’t even tell the fans what happened, though they probably found out anyway. Secrets were hard to keep when you were a YouTube celebrity. It didn’t matter. Link didn’t care. He didn’t check Twitter or Tumblr for what the fans had to say, though he was sure most were offering comfort and sympathy. He just couldn’t care, not about anything. He sat in his house, the home which he and Rhett had shared for the past ten years, trying to figure out what to do next.

He tried, he failed, and when no answers came, he all he could do was cry.

There were letters in the mail, gift packages to cheer him up. Link ignored them all. Over the next few days, he ignored everything outside his own home. He found himself wandering about, aimlessly, staring off into space as he recalled moments he and Rhett shared in the various rooms.

_Our first dinner here…._

_Our first vlog here…._

_The first time we had people over for Christmas…_

_The time when I tried to get that bird out of the attic…_

_Rhett used to play the guitar here…._

_Here we watched TV…_

_Here we slept…._

_Here we made love…._

_The first time…_

_The last time…_

Every memory was so sweet, but now tainted by the fact that Rhett was gone. Gone and not coming back. Link clutched one of Rhett’s shirts, the bird one, held it tight against his chest. He could still smell him on the fabric. The deep-seated, musky scent with a hint of his beard oil and pomade. It was comforting. It was agonizing.

 

“Do you want me to drive?” Rhett asked, bringing Link back to the present. The brunet inhaled deeply, not noticing he had stopped breathing completely for a moment. He looked over at his companion who was wearing his stupid bird shirt. Suddenly, Link hated that shirt.

“No, I’m good.” Link drove the car away from Rhett’s house, trying to focus on driving on not the memories of losing Rhett. Rhett wasn’t gone, he was sitting right beside him, alive and well.

Meanwhile Rhett was trying to figure out if Link was going to have another break down today. He still looked frazzled, and his brain fart just now wasn’t helping his ‘I’m good’ assertion. There was definitely something still bothering him. Rhett wasn’t exactly feeling himself either, though. After the strange vision of his best friend in place of his girlfriend last night, he couldn’t get the image of Link, lips slightly open just inches away, out of his head.

He could still taste those lips on his tongue.

Of course, he couldn’t be sure if what he tasted was what Link’s lips actually tasted like, having never actually kissed them. At most they had pressed their mouths together with a clear sheet of plexiglass between them. Yet he was so sure he knew how they tasted. He also knew he shouldn’t know that. Shouldn’t know how they tasted, how they felt…

‘ _There’s an easy way to find out…_ ’ A random thought appeared in his head. He made a confused face, having no idea where that thought came from. It was so out of nowhere, and definitely not appropriate. Pretending to look at something out of the windshield of the car, he spared a quick sideways glance at Link who was zoning out again. His eyes unconsciously looked over the shorter man’s mouth and his own lips suddenly felt very dry.

‘ _What is wrong with me?_ ’ he wondered. Looking away he tried to think about something else, anything else to take his mind away from this place. It was a slippery slope and he didn’t want anything to do with it. Maybe when he was younger he might have let himself explore these new thoughts, but these days it just wasn’t an option.

Those doors were shut years ago and they needed to remain shut.

At the studio Link continued to mope around the office, mindlessly surfing the internet for something or other. They were scheduled to record some actual episodes for their show, more than usual to make up for Link’s absence the day before, but it didn’t look like they would be able to get them done today either. Not with one of the hosts being in such a sour mood. It wouldn’t be good for the show. Rhett was running ideas through his head for something he could do to cheer up his moody friend, and himself if he was being honest.

“Hey, Link!” he chirped, around noon. “There’s a new restaurant out in Sherman Oaks. Want to try it? My treat!” Link did like not having to pay for things, and he was very hungry. He agreed after only a few moments of thinking about it. It was just going to be a lunch between friends, but that was okay. He figured that even though things were all backwards and upside down he could maybe, just maybe get things back on track, but it would take some time. Going out to eat with Rhett wasn’t a big step, but it was a start.

It was a start.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett tries to cheer Link up and we learn more about how Link traveled to the past in the first place.

The Sherman, a small restaurant up town, was pleasant enough, but Link couldn’t really focus on the atmosphere. He was more interested in the company. As he and Rhett sat down at the curved booth, side by side, it was almost like old times. He thought back to when they were still hiding their relationship. They had to be careful not to seem overly affectionate. That’s how this felt. Like they were pretending, except Rhett wasn’t pretending. 

It was weird sitting beside him, not sure how close to sit, how far away. When they were younger this was because they didn’t want people to know they were dating, now Link just didn’t know how to act around the other man. This man who he had made sweet love to night after night but now would never even consider kissing him. It was frustrating, to say the least. 

Once they settled in, and the waiter left them to look over the menu, Link tried very hard to not stare at the handsome blond man beside him. They weren’t sitting so close that it felt awkward, as far as he could tell, but they were close enough that he could feel his heat. It was the same heat he felt when they sat together behind the gmm desk. He was used to that warm aura bringing him comfort but now… Now it was like a cozy barrier. Something he no longer was allowed to enjoy. Someone else was doing that now.

“How did your date go?” Link blurted. Rhett peered over the corner of his menu, his left eyebrow raised in curiosity.

“Uh, fine, just… Just fine.”

’ _Great,_ ’ the brunet thought to himself. ‘ _Now he’s uncomfortable. Good one, Link._ ‘ 

“How long have you been dating?”

’ _Shut up, Link._ ’

“Coming up on three years, I guess.”

“Sorry,” Link ducked down a bit in his seat. “It’s probably none of my business.” Rhett chuckled.

“No, it’s fine. It’s normal for best friends to talk about their girlfriends. It’s not like I’ve never mentioned her before.”

“Right… Right. Sure. Of course.” Sighing, Rhett set down his menu and looked over at his friend with gentle eyes.

“Is that what’s bothering you? Me and Jessie?” Link didn’t answer but Rhett had known him long enough to read his face. “Are you worried she’s going to take me away from you?” He said it with a joking undertone in his voice, but it hit too close to home.

’ _She already has…_ ’

“I just think maybe she’s… She’s too young for you,” Link threw out, guessing about the woman’s age.

“It’s only a few years difference.”

“She’s too short.” Right, like who wasn’t?

“I think our height difference makes us a cute couple. Anyways I don’t care about her height. Link…” Rhett interrupted his friend as he tried to come up with another reason. “Link, nothing is going to change our friendship. We’ll always be best friends. You know, someday I’m going to get married.” Link shuddered internally at the thought. “I’ll have kids, and so will you. But that won’t ever break us apart. I’m not going anywhere, I promise. I’ll always be here for you.” Link wanted to cry again but he held back. The words were so kind but they felt like needles into his soul. Despite what Rhett was saying they were already apart, much more than they should be.

Link needed to get back together with Rhett, to show him they were meant to be together.

And time was running out.

~~~

As Link walked into the strange, purple-lit shop for the first time, he could smell crisp incense on the air. It was strangely pleasant, like orange mixed with lavender. At one end of the place a short, spindly woman was arranging bottles of various sizes and colors on a shelf. She didn’t look up or even bat an eye as the man entered, but greeted him as if she has been expecting him.

“Make yourself at home, Charles,” she said in a quiet, melodic voice. “I’m almost done here.” After a minute or two, as Link looked too around afraid to touch anything, she finished her sorting and walked over to him. She didn’t smile, but her face seemed pleasant enough.

“How do you-?”

“I know the name of every person who comes to my shop, and no one I don’t know is allowed to enter. Now,” she continued. “When are we taking you today?” Link furrowed his brow.

“I’m sorry, I’m not sure what…” The woman motioned towards the black business card sticking out of his shirt pocket.

“Those don’t get given to just anybody, and when given they offer just one service.” The woman looked the man over slowly, not judging more like… estimating. “Where always depends on the when and the when is upon your request.”

“Who are you?” There were many other questions Link wanted to ask, but this seemed the best to ask first.

“Madame de Épeire,” she replied with a small flourish of her hand. “I am a time spinner.”

“Time what?” The woman smiled, knowingly. Motioning for Link to follow, she walked to the back of the shop and opened a small door behind the counter. Nervous, but somewhat entranced, Link followed. The small door, too short for him but perfect for her minute stature, opened into an equally small room. Like the rest of the shop, it was illuminated by an ever present soft light and was lined with shelf after shelf of seemingly random knick knacks. In the center of the room sat a large cauldron, currently empty.

“I see the threads of time,” Madame was explaining. “What was, what is, what might be.” She lifted a large book from one of the many shelves and placed it on a nearby stone pedestal. Link crouched to enter the room and see what she was looking at. The book, a strange greenish-brown color, looked like it was bound with leather and printed on the front were two words, elegantly inscribed:

_Tempus Iterum_

“You can see time?”

“See and touch. It is not a gift to be taken lightly. Before we begin I want you to know that this is not a service I offer to everyone.” She opened the large book, turning the pages slowly, looking for something.

“So it was you that left this for me," Link guessed, glancing at the card in his pocket. "But why? What do you want?”

“To help. Very rarely does a friendship come along like yours, Charles. I have watched it for some time with great interest.”

“You’re a fan?” Madame giggled, a strange squeaky noise.

“I don’t watch your internet show, no. I watch you. Specially your timeline. Yours and Rhett’s.” Link felt a sharp twang in his heart at the sound of his lost love’s name. “The way your timeline and his have weaved themselves together is very unique, very beautiful.”

“What do you want?” Link repeated, getting angry now. Not only was he summoned here, it seemed to be for nothing.

“Would you like to see them?” the woman asked, ignoring his question.

“What?”

“Your timelines.” Link didn’t answer, but he didn’t say no, so she took that as a yes. Leaving the strange book for now, she grabbed one of the many bottles from nearby and popped its cork. The liquid inside, if you could call it that, was a smoky grey color. As the woman tipped it over the cauldron, the mysterious substance floated more than poured down inside, where it began to swirl on its own. As Link watched, Madame waved a finger over the cauldron, slowly, drawing invisible lines in the air. Her eyes closed for a moment and when they opened the whites of her eyes were gone, the entire ball an inky blue color with specks of white and gold. Looking at them, Link felt as if he was looking into the night sky.

Then something else caught his gaze; twin strands of light, one blue and one green, grew up form the cauldron, streaming up to the ceiling. They started out thin but grew thicker and closer together as they climbed. Where they touched one another, they shimmered, where they were farther apart they grew dim. The two lines pulsed and danced, flowing ever upward yet going nowhere.

“What… what is this?” he asked, barely a whisper.

“You and Rhett’s timelines. I first saw them the day you were born. I saw how intertwined they were, how they responded to each other. How they needed each other. I knew right away that they were special. Friendship like this doesn’t come around very often. Once in a millennium, I dare say.” Link was mesmerized by the strands, but he didn’t need this woman to tell him how rare and beautiful their friendship had been.

With a flick on her wrist the lines moved. They shifted down until one of them, the green one, no longer rose as high as the other. The blue one kept going, albeit thinner and dimmer, but the green one just stopped. Link could guess what that meant.

“I had hoped your lines would go further together. There were so many possibilities for them to go on for so much longer, but sometimes destiny is only a dice roll. We all have to play this game we call life but sometimes we lose.” She closed her eyes and lowered her hand. As she did, the lights faded away completely, the grey smoky liquid settled to the bottom of the cauldron dissipating into nothing. When she opened her eyes they were back to their normal selves.

“Your story has touched me, Charles,” she continued, going back to searching her book. “The bond between you two is too strong not to give a second chance.”

“I don’t understand.”

“To the rare few, whose tapestry has the possibility of become so much more, I offer an opportunity to try again. To roll the dice one more time.” Finding the page she was looking for, she turned and looked up at Link. “There are rules, of course, and a small payment is required but… I can send you back to an earlier time. I can help you change his fate.”

“You’re talking about time travel,” Link concluded. “That’s impossible.”

“Many things are impossible, Charles, but less than people realize. What I’m offering is risky, but it can be done, and certainly worth a try. Don’t you think?”

‘ _What else do I have to lose?_ ’

“What do I have to do?”

“For you it’s rather simple. I will send you back to a moment in time; a moment when one choice can change the course of Rhett’s life. I can only point the way, you will have to make things work.” She told Link to sit down and get comfortable as she read over the pages of her book. It had been quite sometime since she performed this particular spell. When she was finally ready, and Link had given her all the cash from his wallet, she had him lie down on the nearby fainting couch as she began to pour bottle after bottle into the cauldron.

“So how does this work?” he asked, nervously.

“You’ll wake up in your younger body, with all the memories of now. There you will remain for one day. From sunrise to sunset and then… you’ll wake up back in the present. Any changes you make will be resolved immediately. Time, for you, will be forever altered.”

“Will I remember that I went back? Will I remember how things were before I changed it?

“For a while, but time is resilient. Sturdy. It will want to smooth out the crinkles your trip will make. At first you will remember both versions of history- only you. Forever one else, it will all seem simple totally normal. No one else will remember. Well, except me, of course. I see all versions of history. You, however… eventually you will forget, too. It’s for the best, Charles. There can only be one version of events.”

“I guess I won’t need to remember, as long as I have Rhett back.”

“One more thing, one very important thing.”

“Don’t tell anyone I’m from the future?” Madam paused a moment, thinking this question a bit silly.

“Um, technically you can if you want, but you have to live with any change you make in the timeline. I’m not liable if you make everyone think you’re crazy.”

“What then?”

“I have been doing this for countless generations and I can bend time a fair amount, but there is one rule even I cannot break. The rule of one. You only get one trip back. One chance to make things right. If you make any changes you don’t like, there’s nothing I can do. One trip there, one trip back. Do you understand?”

“Completely. That’s just fine.”

‘ _I only need one trip._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if the time jumps / flashbacks get confusing! This chapter takes place both in the new timeline and the old.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in the original timeline, Rhett and Link take a fateful drive in the dynasty.  
> Meanwhile, in the present, Rhett finally has his date with Jessie.

It was nearing the end of summer break, just before their sophomore year of high school. Rhett had been in possession of a dodge dynasty for awhile now and since he and his friend Link had nothing better to do on a fine sunny day, they decided to take it for a drive. It was a good day to run the car on the dirt path, just off of Harnett county road. The same path that they tested the illustrious dynasty the day Rhett first inherited it from his brother.

The infamous road wasn’t that far from Link’s house and a good stretch of it was built almost like a race track. Sharp turns, tilted banks. There were just some parts of that road that should never be taken at high speeds. So, of course, that’s exactly what Rhett and Link planned to do.

This wouldn’t be the first time they had done this. There were many times they took this perilous journey in the dynasty, or ‘the nasty’ as Link once called it. It was dangerous and exciting. Just the sort of thing two young boys with too much free time were prone to do.

So it was that they found themselves in the blue sedan, shirts off, no seat belts, driving just a tad over the speed limit, towards the familiar ‘test track’. They were banging their heads to some heavy metal music, completely obvious to anything beyond their small town, or what their futures held. All that mattered was the music, the road, and hanging out with best friends.

It was a warm afternoon as they pulled into the path, a cloud of dirt billowing behind them. Link felt like they were in a James Bond film, during one of the car chase scenes. As they took their first turn, he had to hold the handle over the door with an iron grip. A strange sound, halfway between a laugh and a yell, past his lips and he looked over at Rhett. The blond boy met his gaze with a wink and an excited grin before hitting the gas even harder.

There would be no slowing down on this ride.

The banked turn was coming up. Link griped the handle with one hand and braced himself against the seat with his other, ready for the fun part. Rhett didn’t let up for the gas but took the turn hard. He pulled the steering wheel into the turn, and he managed to not flip the car completely over. It did, however, rock quite a bit over to one side, two of its tires momentarily leaving the ground.

As they finished the turn, the car landed safely back on all four wheels, hard. A loud ‘bang!’ seemed to echo for miles when they hit the ground. Rhett’s head smacked the driver’s side window; it didn’t break the glass but it sure hurt like hell. His smug grin faded as he shouted a harsh profanity at the pain.

“You ok, man?” Link asked, as they came to a stop a few yards away from the turn. Rhett brought a hand to his head before looking down at it. No blood.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Shit, that hurt though.” He continued to rub his head, as if that could make the pain go away.

“Maybe you should wait a bit, pull over,” his friend suggested. “You know, in case you have a concussion or something.” Rhett quickly agreed, driving the car to the side of the road and put it into park. He didn’t think it was that serious, but a quick rest couldn’t hurt. Link turned off the music. If they were going to just be sitting here, they might as well talk, and there was something on Link’s mind.

“Did you know Lisa likes you?” he asked. Rhett gave a little, noncommittal nod before shrugging.

“Yeah, but I don’t know.” He couldn’t seem to make eye contact, avoiding looking at Link by gazing out through the window at the unremarkable scenery.

“You don’t know?” Link repeated. “I would’ve thought you’d be excited.” Lisa Johnson was one of the hottest girls in school. Every boy wanted to go with her. Why would Rhett be any different?

“I just don’t know. Guess I was just thinking about someone else.” He ran his clammy palms over his jeans, still looking anywhere but at the shirtless brunet next to him. Link, meanwhile, couldn’t seem to understand why his companion was being so weird.

“She’s probably gonna ask you out.” There had been rumors going around over the summer, though Link couldn’t put a finger on where exactly he heard it. It wasn’t good news; girls being into the boy he had a crush on was never good news, but he wanted Rhett to be happy. More than anything he wanted Rhett to be happy.

“She, uh. She already did.” It took all of Link’s strength to not just whip his head over towards Rhett and stare at him. Lisa had already talked to him? And he didn’t tell Link?

“Uh… oh?” he managed, trying not to sound too interested. “What did, um.. What did you say?”

“I said I’d think about it,” Rhett shrugged again.

“What’s to think about? You’ve had a crush on Lisa since forever. Why wouldn’t you just say yes?” Not that Link wanted Rhett to say yes, but he was beyond curious. Being obsessed with girls for as long as Link had known him, Rhett wouldn’t have turned down the chance to date a cute girl, a _hot girl_ , for anything.

“I just… don’t know if I want to.” Link sighed, unhappy with this vague answer. He shifted a bit in his seat, his bare back sticking slightly to the leather, and he was really noticing it now. He was also really noticing the fact that neither of them had shirts on.

“You like someone else?” At this, Rhett’s eyes got a little wider and he stopped fighting. He froze completely for a few seconds before biting his lip and answering.

“Maybe.”

“Who?”

“No one.”

“That’s stupid. You just said you liked someone.”

“No, I said maybe. Maybe doesn’t mean yes.”

“Rhett I-”

“We should get going. I could use a sandwich.” Rhett put the car back into drive and started pulling out back onto the main road. For a few minutes, Link didn’t say anything but sat quietly, thinking. Then, when the silence got to be too much, he spoke softly.

“I like someone too.” He didn’t look at Rhett but he could feel a sideways glance in his direction.

“Who do you like? Do I know ‘em?” There was a pause, a bit too long of a pause before Link answered.

“Yeah.” He risked his own sideways glance at Rhett. The blond boy had a confused look on his face but then, after a second, there was a hint of hope. A hint of possibility. He turned his green eyes back to the road but he couldn’t hide a small smile on his lips. Link smiled too as he looked out the passenger side window. They didn’t talk the rest of the way home, but they didn’t need to. Just being together was enough.

~~~

“You ready to head home, Link?” Rhett asked. They had managed to record two or three episodes of Good Mythical Morning after lunch and now it was getting late. Link had been zoning out again, thinking about the past as he remembered it, and had lost all track of time.

“Hmm?” he hummed, absentmindedly.

“It’s after seven. Unless you want to sleep here tonight.” Rhett slipped on his hoodie and zipped it half way up. Link caught himself looking at Rhett’s cloth-covered chest for a moment before looking away and clearing his throat.

“I guess I could use a real bed,” he joked. “I don’t want to end up with a bad back like you.”

“My back’s been pretty good lately, actually. Jessie gives amazing massages.” Link winced, but thankfully Rhett had turned and didn’t see.

‘ _You used to like my massages,_ ’ he thought, remembering Rhett face down on the bed they shared. He remembered the noises his boyfriend had made at the touch of his fingertips.

“You seeing her again, tonight?”

“I was planning on it,” Rhett admitted. “But if you want I can cancel and you and I can go to dinner or something.” If Link still needed him, Rhett wanted to be there for him.

“No, I was just asking.” Inside Link was screaming for Rhett to stay with him. Tonight. _Forever._

They didn’t talk much on the car ride home, instead just listening to some country music on the radio. Link still looked a bit sad but he reassured his friend that he would be alright by himself. He didn’t believe he would be okay, but he didn’t want to worry Rhett anymore than he already had.

After Link dropped him off at his place, Rhett called up Jessie to tell her he was almost home. He hoped to make up for their last date and asked if she wanted to come over. In a lovely, excited voice, she eagerly agreed and said she would be over soon. She was looking forward to seeing him and finishing their date.

Always the romantic, Rhett made sure everything was perfect. The house was clean, practically immaculate, knowing how it usually looked wasn’t going to go over very well. Women just weren’t into clothes on the floor or dishes left out. He even scrubbed the toilet and bathtub. He lit candles, put rose petals on the floor and bedspread. He put on the most romantic music he could think of. Everything was going to be perfect. It had to be perfect.

Just as he was setting out a bottle of wine and a pair of glasses, he heard the doorbell ring. Looking over all his hard work one last time, making sure everything looked good, he took a deep breath. A quick check in the mirror showed his clothes were okay; a light blue tux with matching tie and white dress shirt. The tie needed a quick adjustment but then, satisfied enough, he walked over to the front door and opened it.

Jessie looked amazing. Her black hair was put up with a flower bow, revealing her elegant neck. She wore a low cut red blouse with thin straps and a matching short skirt. Her eyes twinkled as she looked up at Rhett, smiling an amazing smile. For a moment Rhett was taken aback.

“Are you going to invite me in?” she asked. Rhett swallowed before nodding and stepping out of the way. He raised an arm in a sweeping motion, gesture towards the living room.

“Please, come in.” Jessie’s high heels clicked softly on the hardwood floor as she walked inside. Rhett caught a whiff of her perfume, a subtle, flowery scent. “Would you like some wine?”

“I would love some.” Rhett led her towards the living room and sat down beside her before picking up the waiting bottle. As he started to removed the cork, he wondered if he should have lit a fire in the fireplace, but it wasn’t winter anymore and while it would have been romantic, it would have made the house get too hot.

“I hope you’re hungry,” he said, pouring each of them a glass. “I have prepared a lovely meal for us this evening.”

“Ooh.” Jessie grinned, halfway between impressed and enjoying Rhett’s enthusiasm. “What are we having?”

“Well, madam,” he began, doing his best French waiter impression. “We have a nice lemon garlic pasta with red pepper and parmayjan…” -Jessie giggled at Rhett’s over-pronunciation of ‘parmesan’- “Served with a side of spinach and mushrooms. And for dessert? Croissant and chocolate bread pudding, a la mode.”

“So fancy!” Jessie giggled again Rhett beamed, very proud of himself. He had worked very hard on this dinner and he hoped it showed. “I can’t wait!”

Later, they sat down at the small dining room table and Rhett served the pasta, looking very suave as he moved about. He kept up the fake French accent every now and then, and Jessie loved it. After dessert, they headed for the bedroom where she gasped in delight at the flower petals placed everywhere. It was very romantic and she was clearly smitten with both the atmosphere and Rhett himself.

“You cooked a delicious dinner _and_ did all this?” she asked.

“You like it?”

“I love it, it’s wonderful!” She sat down on the edge of the bed, looking up at Rhett with her best come-hither gaze. Raising his eyebrow seductively, he sat down beside her. He placed a soft kiss on her lips, happy that he kept feeling her soft skin and not Link against his own mouth. Cupping her jaw in his hand, he pressed further and she fell back against the mattress with him on top.

“Oh, Rhett,” she whispered, in between kisses. “I love you so much.”

“Mmm,” Rhett mummered against the skin of her shoulder. “I love you too, Link.” There was a beat while they both froze, neither believing what they had just heard.

“Excuse me?” Jessie demanded, sitting up and throwing Rhett off of her.

“Jes-Jessie!” Rhett corrected. “I-I love you! I love you, Jessie!” He couldn’t believe he had just said that. Neither could his girlfriend.

“Did you just say ‘I love you, _Link’?_ ”

“No, no, I just… Um…” He grasped weakly at her as she got to her feet. “Jessie, wait-”

“Why would you say that?” she asked, her voice getting louder. Rhett didn’t answer. He couldn’t because he didn’t know. Surely it had just been an accident. That’s what he should have said anyway, yet something inside him insisted that wasn’t true. Saying those words felt true. Saying them felt right. They felt like the most natural thing in the world.

‘ _What is wrong with me?_ ’


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link's trip back in time begins.

Madame de Épeire had Link lie down on her fainting couch. While he waited for her to get the potion ready for him, he stared at the ceiling, contemplating fainting couches still being used today. Did people still use them? Did people ever really use them? How could one predict when they were going to faint well enough to actually hit the couch? Or was the couch just someplace to store fainted people until they came to? Having actually fainted a few times, Link wondered what it would be like to wake up on such a couch, left alone until he woke back up.

“What’s it going to be like?” he asked. “Going back in time?”

“Completely painless, actually.” The Madame dipped a silver chalice into the cauldron, filling it with a golden-cream colored liquid. It seemed to swirl slowly on its own in the cup and a light mist hovered above the surface. She blew the mist away before handing it to Link. “After you drink this, you’ll fall asleep and wake up in the past. Where depends on the when.”

“High school? That’s back in Buies Creek.” Using her time spinner abilities, which Link still didn’t completely understand, the Madame had determined what had caused Rhett’s initial injury. It turns out that bonk to the head had caused more than a bump and a bruise. All Link had to do was convince his friend not to go driving at the dirt road that day. If they didn’t go, Rhett couldn’t get hurt. If Rhett didn’t get hurt, he wouldn’t get that cyst in his brain and die. He would be just fine and they would be back together.

Link took the goblet handed to him and sniffed it. It didn’t smell like anything.

“Remember, you have to drink the whole thing,” the time spinner instructed. “If you don’t, you might not end up in the right time.” Link nodded and took a deep breath. He was used to eating and drinking weird things from all his years on Good Mythical Morning. This had to be a piece of cake. Tilting his head slightly back, he opened his mouth and dumped the liquid inside.

It tasted like honey and walnuts but was creamy like milk. A few gulps and he had swallowed it all, even shaking the cup a few times to make sure he got every drop. Then, setting it aside, he laid back on the couch and waited. He was already starting to feel sleepy.

“You’ll have one day to fix the past and change Rhett’s destiny. As the sun sets on your past, you’ll fall asleep and wake up back in the present. If all goes well, everything will have changed, but only you will remember.”

“If all goes well?” Link didn’t like the sound of that.

“You’ll be fine.” Madame smiled sweetly, not something she seemed to do very often, petting the top of Link’s head to soothe him. “Your bond is strong. I have faith in you.”

“But what if-?”

“Hush now.” Link’s eyelids felt so heavy. “Just focus on my voice. You’re drifting now. Let time take you back.” Her voice was soothing; Link felt it wrap around him like satin. “Think about where you’re going, and why.”

“Rhett…”

“Your bond will keep you safe. Your love will lead the way.” Link couldn’t stay awake. He couldn’t think of a reason not to sleep. Nothing seemed to matter. Nothing else but

‘ _Rhett…_ ’

~~~

“Hey, Link!” Rhett exclaimed as he opened his front door. His best friend of ten years was standing there, dressed in baggy pants and no shirt. A common outfit for both of them. He grinned a crooked smile as he came inside.

“Hey buddy! You ready to hit the road?” Rhett and Link had planned to drive the taller boy’s car over on this old dirt road. It seemed a fun way to spend the day.

“Almost. I just need to grab some socks.” Motioning for Link to follow, the blond boy led the way through the house towards his bedroom. It was just after noon and there wasn’t anyone else home; his parents and brother were out off somewhere. The whole house sounded deathly quiet, but neither boy seemed to notice or care.

Once in Rhett’s room, Link sat on his bed with his back against the far wall and swinging his legs over the side. He had been here many times before, of course, but now he looked around like he was checking the place out.

“Your room is so much bigger than mine,” he noted. Rhett sat beside him, slouching forward and folding his hands together.

“Once we move to college even your room will seem huge.” They had planned to share a dorm room once they got to N.C. State.

“Are we going to have to share a bed?” Now Link sat up a bit, moving closer to Rhett.

“No,” Rhett made a face. “We’ll have our own beds.”

“Can we?”

“Can we what?” Link scooted even closer. Rhett unconsciously swallowed, his eyes staring into Link’s to make sure they didn’t look at the young man’s bare chest.

“Share a bed?”

“Uh, what… What for?” Rhett’s heart skipped a beat as he felt a soft hand on his knee. He didn’t need to look down to know it was Link’s.

“Lots of things.” The brunet leaned forward and suddenly Rhett couldn’t breathe. Time seemed to move in slow motion as he felt the lips of his best friend, his _guy_ friend, pressing up against his. Link had closed his eyes and his eyelashes had never looked longer, or more beautiful.

“Link…” Rhett murmured against his friend’s mouth. Link didn’t speak but slowly moved his hand up Rhett’s thigh. Rhett melted into the kiss, letting it happen, letting the other boy take control. So long he’d been afraid to even look at Link too long. Now to learn that his feelings were shared… He couldn’t have been happier.

Rhett lay back, Link following until he was practically lying on top of him. He moaned softly as he felt the shorter boy’s hand move from his thigh to his groin, massaging gently with his amazing fingers. Before he knew it, those dexterous fingers were venturing under his jeans and underwear, exploring his member with tender care.

It soon became too much. Rhett could barely breathe, Link’s mouth hovering just out of reach of his own. Rhett was desperate to kiss but unable to focus on anything but the sensations in his pants. Sweat was dripping down his neck and chest, his arms were holding onto the bed sheets, and his head rolled back in ecstasy. He began whispering sweet nonsense into the air, and Link whispered back. He couldn’t take it. It was all too much. He called out his friend’s name as he climaxed with a shudder. Then it was over.

And Link was gone.

Opening his eyes, Rhett blinked in the morning light. He didn’t know what time it was, but it was still early. He didn’t have to meet up with Link for a few more hours. As he rolled out of bed, he groaned at the sensation of wetness in his shorts.

‘ _God damn it._ ’ It was the third time this month he had dreamt of Link and these kind of dreams were becoming more common these days. He knew it was wrong to have them, to feel attracted towards his male friend, but he didn’t know what to do. He hated feeling this way. He hated himself.

Last week Holly, a girl from school, approached Rhett and told him Lisa wanted to go with him. When he hesitated and said he would think about it, he knew his small crush on Link was more serious than he had believed. Then he wanted to believe. He should have just said yes. There shouldn’t have been any hesitation but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want to go with Lisa. He wanted to go with Link.

But that wasn’t allowed.

Rhett had been struggling with this crush for a few years now. He didn’t know what it was about Link that was suddenly turning his head. It seemed like one day he stopped being just another guy that Rhett hung out with and started being something more. When he allowed himself, he would think about Link’s sparkling blue eyes, his gentle smile, his charming laugh… And when he felt so bold, or when he was asleep and couldn’t control his mind, he dared to think about more.

As Rhett cleaned himself off in the shower, he felt like he was also cleaning his soul of his filthy dream, his sinful thoughts. He scrubbed a bit too hard, but it felt good, the pain itself a sort of cleansing. He deserved it for his dark desires towards Link. It was almost therapeutic. By the time he finished, he felt much better. He was ready to get on with his day, a day he would be spending with Link. Just another, regular day of hiding the truth from the world and his best friend. His friend who would never understand.

When Link showed up, Rhett had to take a deep breath before opening the door, preparing himself. He thought he was ready, but as soon as the door was opened, and Link was standing on the other side, there was a strange pause.

“Rhett…” Link looked as if he hasn’t seen his friend in years. Before Rhett could respond, Link had stepped close and wrapped the taller boy in the biggest bear hug. “I… I missed you.”

“Uh, hey, Link.” Rhett managed, completely taken aback at this behavior. “It’s only been a day.” Link kept hugging him and Rhett didn’t know what else to do but hug back. After a bit too long, they finally separated and he could have sworn he saw a small tear in the corner of the shorter boy’s eye. “You ok, bo?”

“I’m great, Rhett. Just great.” He grinned so broadly, Rhett couldn’t help but smile back. Gosh he could be so cute when he was excited.

‘ _Not cute, not cute,_ ’ Rhett chastised himself. To Link he said “well, good. You ready to get to the race track?” Link’s smile faltered and there was a hint of fear in his eyes before he could hide it.

“Uh, no, um… I’m not really feeling the track today, um. I thought maybe we could go see a movie or something. Uh, what’s playing?” He looked up at Rhett, hoping for a yes. It was strange; Link had been looking forward to this trip; it had been his idea. Why the sudden change of heart?

“Uh, that new Harrison Ford movie came out, if you want to go see that.” Going to see a movie with your best friend was normal, right? Link looked incredibly relieved, like this was the best news he had ever heard.

“That sounds perfect, Rhett. Let’s go!” Link almost skipped back to his truck. Rhett still thought his friend was acting a little strange, but he was always a bit odd. Besides, they were still going to hang out together, and a movie would be fun.

During the movie, Rhett tried not to think about the dream he had last night with the very boy that was now sitting next to him. About how it felt to have the brunet’s hand down the front of his underpants. How his moans had sounded so close to Rhett’s ear. How close he was now sitting to his friend… Closer than usual. Rhett told himself it was just his imagination, his own secret desire to have Link think about him the way he thought about Link.

‘ _I can’t think about him that way,_ ’ he reminded himself. ‘ _Think of someone else._ ’ He tried to focus on the lusty woman on screen, but it didn’t help. He couldn’t help sneaking glances at Link when he wasn’t looking, nor shake the feeling that Link might be doing the same thing back. ‘ _Why couldn’t we have just gone driving?_ ’


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the new timeline he has created, Link tries to get used to his new life and we find out exactly what went wrong during his journey to the past.

Link still wasn’t used to this new house, but he could tell that he had lived here for several years. It was a surreal experience having no memories of living here yet seeing signs of himself everywhere. The way things were set up or laid out were just how he would have organized it. He felt like he had amnesia and was trying to remember his own home. In a way that’s exactly what it was.

That’s exactly what it was.

The other Link, the one that had actually lived this timeline, had the same taste as Link himself. He could tell, looking over the place, that if he had lived here he would have decorated it very similarly. The layout, the decorations. Even some of the furniture was the same as that in his own house; the house he shared with Rhett. That was the important difference. Here, in this timeline, he lived alone and Rhett lived at his own place. That’s what made this only a house, a building filled with familiar things and forgotten memories. That’s why this wasn’t his home. If Rhett wasn’t here, it never could be.

Not that Rhett was completely absent from the place. His face was there, in pictures on the wall, with Link by his side sometimes with other friends. It was obvious that no matter what Rhett would always be there, in Link’s life, in some form or another and that gave Link some comfort. His best friend was alive and well and in his life. It was more than he had dreamt possible after losing him months long ago. Despite all odds or reason, Rhett was back. For that Link was grateful; he was overjoyed and relieved, and there was always hope.

He had to hope; he just had to.

Rhett was still his best friend. The brotherly love was still there, as it had always been. Theirs had never been a traditional friendship, one that could fade with time or distance. They were still close and Rhett did say that he loved Link. Sure it wasn’t as a lover, but it was still love and that meant a lot.

As for attraction, it had to be there as well. It was there; it had always been there. Rhett had not always been able to expressed it, but he couldn’t have changed that much in this timeline. Link could remember all the times he felt ugly, or disgusting. Like whenever his cold sore broke out, he would shy away from everyone, but Rhett had reminded him that he still was beautiful. He was still loved. Rhett said he would always want him. Surely that still had to be true. Surely he just didn’t want to admit it now. It had been hard enough revealing his secret desires the first time. Link would just have to help him again. He could do that.

He had to be careful though, and not just because Rhett might become uncomfortable. Rhett had a girlfriend in this timeline, which wasn’t entirely surprising. He had always had an eye for the ladies as much as the guys. It was entirely possible he was very attracted to Jessie, even enjoying being with her. If he was trying to hide the truth of his sexuality, even from himself, it wouldn’t be difficult to become involved with a women. It wouldn’t have been the first time he hid the truth in such a way.

~~~

After the movie, the teenage boys drove over to the corner store to get a bottle of pop. They had gone there hundreds of times but Link was still behaving a little off.

“Clearly Canadian!” He held up the teardrop-shaped glass bottle and showed it to Rhett. He looked so excited his eyes lit up. “Can you believe it?”

“Uh, yeah Link. We get that stuff all the time.” Unimpressed by the clear beverage, Rhett grabbed up a bottle of Dr Pepper instead. Link chuckled to himself, possibly _at_ himself, as he brought the bottle up to the cashier to check out.

Once they purchased their respective drinks, they sat on Link’s truck bed with their legs hanging off the back. They were making small talk and watching people go by every now and then on the street. Link seemed fascinated by every person, as if he hadn’t seen them in ages.

“Wow, look at him!” he’d exclaim. “Look how young he looks!” and “I haven’t seen her in forever!”

“You saw her last week,” Rhett would tell him. “She lives just down the road.”

“Oh, yeah,” Link chuckled, clearly amused by his own antics. Rhett just shrugged and shook his head. If Link wanted to be silly, good for him. He seemed to be in such a great mood, Rhett didn’t want to rain on his parade.

“What else did you want to do today?” he asked. He hadn’t had anything else planned for the day now that Link didn’t want to go driving on the test track.

“Oh! Let’s go down to the Cape. I haven’t been there… uh, in a while.” It wasn’t true. They had gone down to the river several times a week this whole summer.

“Alright. Let’s get going then.” Rhett rotated his body to pick up the empty soda bottle behind him and as he did Link was turning as well. Their faces got close… too close… and before he knew it they were mere inches apart. Remembering his dream, Rhett felt his breath catch in his throat. Before he could pull away, Link started to lean in. His fingertips brushed along the taller boy’s jaw, his own lips parting slightly as he got closer. Rhett didn’t pull away. He couldn’t. His heart was beating to fast, and the other boy’s lips looked so inviting. He started to-

“Hey! Faggots!” came a voice. Rhett and Link jumped apart instantly, looking to see who was yelling at them. Two fellow students, Don and Adam, were pulling into the corner store parking lot. Both of them looked absolutely disgusted at the two boys apparently kissing on the back of Link’s truck. “The fuck you doing?” Rhett panicked and shoved Link away from him.

“I’m no queer, man! He just… jumped me!” He threw his own disgusted look at Link who blushed furiously. It broke Rhett’s heart to through his friend under the bus, but he had to. He _had_ to. How could Link try to kiss him? Why would he do that? It was wrong. So wrong.

“So gross, dude!” Adam added. “What’s wrong with you?”

“N-nothing!” Link tried. “I didn’t mean- I just-”

“I’m outta here.” Rhett jumped down from the truck and quickly started putting as much distance from Link as he could. He had to get away. Away from prying eyes. Away from the strange feelings coming from inside. Away from Link.

“Wait, Rhett. I didn’t mean to… Come back!” Rhett didn’t turn around. He didn’t want to see Link’s face just then.

“I’m gonna walk home. You gotta… You gotta figure your shit out.” He didn’t stop even as Link called out again. He didn’t stop when he heard Don and Adam laughing at both of them. He didn’t stop until he was back home, finally unable to hold back his tears. After heading straight for the bathroom sink, he began to scrub his face as hard as he could. He had to get the thought of Link touching him out of his mind. It wasn’t working.

‘ _No no no no no,_ ’ he repeated, over and over. No to almost kissing Link. No to wanting it. No to desiring to lick the flavored water from those perfect lips. No to all the feelings he had ever felt towards his best friend. It was wrong on so many levels and he was furious. Furious at himself for feeling this way. Furious at Link for bringing these feelings to the surface.

‘ _And out in public!_ ’ Those two guys from school were probably going to tell everyone that he was gay now. ‘ _No no no!_ ’ At the thought, he finally stopped his cleansing and looked at himself in the mirror. He had to do something before he became shunned from society, and fast. The wheels turned in his head and he came up with an easy answer.

Drying his face, he ran to the phone in the living room. After quickly looking up the correct number in the phone book, he waited patiently as the phone on the other end rang. Once. Twice.

“Hello?” asked a voice.

“Uh, hi,” he managed. “Um… Could I please speak to Lisa?”

~~~

The first night in this strange new house, Link didn’t fall asleep until he drank a few shots of NyQuil. He hadn’t been able to feel comfortable enough to doze off naturally and he knew Rhett had been counting on him to be awake and alert for GMM the next morning. Not wanting to risk overdosing on the green medicine, Link tried just lying in bed hoping sleep would find him easily.

It didn’t.

He lay there, staring at the ceiling for hours with only his own thoughts for company. He thought about the day he spent in the past, the mistakes he made. Well, that one huge mistake that he now realized had changed his entire existence. Why did he have to be so weak? Why did Rhett have to be so enticing?

All he had to do was be normal for one day, pretend to be a completely straight boy for just a few hours more but no. Being next to Rhett, seeing him alive and happy… And then, when their faces were so close it had all been too much. Too long he had been without Rhett’s tender kiss and now, because of his weakness, he had to face a future watching his one and only love kiss someone else. It was more than he could stand.

Eventually he got tired of yelling at himself, of running the events over and over in his mind and sat up in his bed. Falling asleep wasn’t going to happen, not this way, and he couldn’t get the image of a sixteen year old Rhett glaring disgustedly at him out of his head. He needed to hear Rhett’s voice, speaking softly, offering comfort and friendship. Completely forgetting that his friend was supposed to be on a date, Link picked up his cell phone and quickly dialed the man’s number.

“Link.” Rhett answered. His tone was strange; he obviously knew who had called him from his caller ID, yet he sounded like he hadn’t needed the hint. It was like he had been expecting Link to call.

“Sorry I’m calling so late I just-” Miss you? _Need_ you? “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Sure, Link.” He tried to sound supportive, but he just couldn’t get it right. There was something else on his mind.

“Are you ok?” Link asked, becoming aware that his weren’t the only problems in the world.

“I’ll be okay. Weird night, I guess.”

“You wanna talk about it?” Then Link remembered. “Didn’t you have a date tonight? With Jessie?”

“Yup.”

“Did… Did something happen?” There was a pause and Link held his breath. A range of emotions flooded his system. Hope that Rhett and Jessie had broken up. Guilt at hoping such a thing. Fear that it was something worse.

“It’s no big deal. I said the wrong thing and now Jessie’s mad at me. She completely overreacted, really… Anyway. What did you want to talk to me about? Are you ok?“ The sincere concern in his voice made Link smile ever so slightly. It was good to know Rhett could be worried for his friend even when he was having his own problems. 

"It’s stupid. I… I can’t sleep. My brain won’t let me, you know? Thought maybe if I talked to you for awhile-”

“I could bore you to sleep with my talking?” Rhett chuckled. Link managed a small laugh back.

“No, nothing like that, I just…” ’ _I need to hear your voice in my ear while I lay in bed._ ’

“Do you need me to come over for awhile?” Rhett suggested.

‘ _Forever._ ’ 

“You don’t have to-”

“Link. It’s me.” Link could almost see his friend’s expression, a knowing gentle face. No matter what Link had done to mess up their relationship, Rhett still knew him; he knew him so well.

“I would like that.” 

“Then I’ll be right over.”

Link could hardly wait.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link says goodbye to his past, hoping his mistakes will be forgiven.  
> In the new present Rhett's strange visions hit him even harder than before.

Link stared down at the Buies Creek river below him, thinking about Rhett wherever he was. After the blond boy had run off, no doubt completely embarrassed by what his friend had foolishly almost done, Link was left to fend for himself against two very unpleasant teenagers. He didn’t know what to say. They jeered at him as he stumbled back into his truck; they threw beer cans as he drove away. Now, as he sat on this rock, he could still hear the slurs they were shouting at him.

‘ _How could everything go wrong so fast?_ ’ he wondered. The answer came right away. Link blamed himself. It had been so long since he’d seen Rhett, been able to touch him, that when their faces got so close it was too much. Even as the younger version of his lover, Rhett looked so good, his lips so inviting. Maybe it was the teenage hormones but it felt like instinct to lean forward and kiss them.

‘ _He won’t be mad forever, Right?_ ’ Link hoped. He and his best friend had fought many times, before and after they started dating, but it had never looked liked their friendship was over. Surely this time was no different. Surely everything would be alright.

Of course he had driven to Rhett’s home, looking for his friend, hoping to patch things up as soon as possible. He rang the bell, knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Figuring Rhett was not home, Link drove around in his truck, visiting every other place he could think of that the blond boy might be. He didn’t seem to be anywhere. After searching the neighborhood for several hours, Link drove down to the waters where they had spent many an afternoon just shooting the breeze. It was completely deserted.

On the nearby hillside sat two huge boulders, one slightly larger than the other. Years ago they had been dug up by farmers putting in an artificial pond nearby, but now they sat as twin sentinels over the creek this small town shared its name with. It was on these rocks that Rhett and Link had spent much of their youth, talking about the events of the day, the possibilities of tomorrow. It was here they planned their future. It was almost a sacred place, where they could talk to each other about anything without fear of judgement or rejection. This was their sanctuary.

Sitting on the larger of the two rocks. Link sighed to himself. If Rhett wasn’t here, maybe he just didn’t want to be found. It was a heart breaking thought, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He could only hope things weren’t as bleak as he thought, that the future he remembered would still be alright. At least he could take comfort in the knowledge that he had done his best; Rhett had not gone driving on that dangerous road and not been injured. When Link got back to his own time, life would be different but for the better. His love would be there and they could finally live a happily ever after. In the end, that’s all he wanted. That’s all he had ever wanted.

As the sun began to set over the horizon, he knew time was short. Soon he would be brought back to his own time and leave this surreal experience behind. It was fun, before he’d messed it all up, to visit the past, see his friends and hometown as they once were. He was looking forward to going back to the present, back to L.A.. More importantly, being with his best friend and love: the adult version of Rhett. It was he that made it home anyways.

“I’m sorry I fucked up,” Link said to the empty air across from him. “I promise I’ll make it up to you. I miss you. The grownup you.” The last rays of the sun faded from sight and Link could feel the familiar pull of sleep taking him away. He couldn’t fight it. He didn’t want to. Closing his eyes he let it take him away. He was ready to return home, to his life. His Rhett.

“I love you…”

~~~

It was late when Rhett arrive at Link’s house, still wearing the clothes he had put on for his date with Jessie, including the light blue dress coat and matching pants. He had taken off the tie though and left the top buttons of his shirt unbuttoned. His hair was slightly disheveled; he ran his fingers through his falling pompadour a few times before ringing the doorbell.

“Rhett. Hey,” Link greeted. “Thanks for coming over.”

“Anytime, Link. You know that.” It was true. It didn’t matter that it was almost midnight, or that Rhett was still worried his girlfriend might break up with him for his earlier slip up. If Link needed him, Rhett would be there.

“I’m sorry about your date,” Link said, looking over his friend’s attire.

“It’s ok I uh.. I don’t really want to talk about it, if that’s alright.”

“Okay well, come on in.” Link moved to make way for his companion. “We can talk about whatever you want. Or nothing.” ‘ _I’m just happy you’re here._ ’

After some small talk they decided to watch a movie on Netflix so while Link was making popcorn in the kitchen, Rhett dropped his jacket on the nearby chair and settled in on the living room couch. He was still browsing the videos when the shorter man came back with a giant bowl of the salty snack.

“What are you in the mood for?” Rhett asked as Link sat down beside him.

“What about Hush?” He suggested, passing over the popcorn. Rhett looked at him in confusion.

“But that’s a horror movie.” Link didn’t like scary movies.

“So? You too scared?”

“No I actually like horror films but… aren’t you going to be scared?”

“I’ll be fine. Come on, start ‘er up!” Rhett shrugged and pressed play. Link grabbed a nearby blanket and threw it over the both of them. He wasn’t actually looking forward to watching it, but he knew his friend loved scary movies. Besides, if he did get scared he knew Rhett would be there to keep him safe. Maybe he could even sneak in a snuggle, just a bit, during the really bad parts. Rhett had always been the protective type.

It didn’t take long for the movie to get scary. Less than fifteen minutes in and there was already a brutal murder of some young woman. She was getting stabbed over and over; there wasn’t a lot of blood but Link had to cover his eyes anyway. Rhett spared him a sympathetic glance.

“It’s over,” he assured him, once the dead woman was dragged away and the movie progressed. His voice was comforting, and it set Link’s mind at ease for a little while, but the plot quickly escalated. Link found himself moving subconsciously closer to Rhett, eventually cuddling up against his left side. So far the plan was sort of going well, he just wished he didn’t have to actually be scared for it to work, and the suspense in the film was getting worse.

Link tried not to focus too much on what was going on in the movie and that helped a great deal. He snuck peeks at Rhett who seemed totally engrossed. He didn’t even seem notice as the brunet beside him wrapped both arms around his forearm and was now holding him tightly. If he did notice, he was paying it no mind. After a while, the movie got less scary actually. The main character had managed to at least take the bad guy’s primary weapon. As the end got closer, and it became more of a thriller than a horror flick, Link was able to move on with his plan.

“No, don’t go outside!” Rhett was saying to the television. The woman in the story managed to wound the bad guy with his own crossbow, but she didn’t quite make it back the safety of her house in time. The bad guy stomped on her hand and Link cringed in his seat.

“Oh gosh, Rhett!” He whimpered, burying his face into Rhett’s side. “That’s a lot of blood.”

“Don’t look, buddy.” Rhett lifted his arm and put it around Link’s shoulders, allowing him to hide against his chest. “I’ll tell you when it’s safe to look.”

“Thank you.” Link sighed contently to himself. With Rhett’s arm around him, he felt safer and closer to home than ever. Ignoring the movie entirely now, he waited until Rhett said it was alright to look before shifting just enough to see the screen. He was pretending to still be terrified as he snuck his left hand onto onto his friend’s leg, just above the knee. He man didn’t even flinch but while Link didn’t know it, this time his actions were very noticed.

‘ _Stay calm,_ ’ Rhett told himself. ‘ _He’s just frightened. Poor guy. Why did he want to watch this movie anyway. He should have known he was going to get scared._ ' Rhett tried to focus on the movie. It was almost over and he was getting sleepy from the late hour.

Link’s hand moved a few inches up Rhett’s thigh, but surely it meant nothing. Rhett couldn’t understand why this was making him nervous. He didn’t believe Link would ever come on to him. Then it hit him. The main reason it was making him so uncomfortable was not because his supposedly heterosexual friend’s hand was getting closer to his groin underneath a blanket that they were basically snuggling under. No. It was the fact that it all felt way too familiar, like they had been here before.

The hand moved again, even closer, and Rhett felt his member twitched in excitement. If he wasn’t so busy trying to pretend like nothing was happening, he would have glared at his own crotch for its betrayal.

‘ _You’re straight, remember?_ ’ He thought at it. Despite his mental protests, the closer Link hand got, the harder Rhett became. Then the flashes began.

__

> _Link’s hand is inside Rhett’s pants, reaching for the taller boy’s member. They’re in college, in their dorm room, on the bunk bed they share. Rhett is breathing hard as his friend’s fingers slowly massage him…_
> 
> _“Link,” he whimpers… pleading? “You don’t have to-”_
> 
> _“I want to.” Link’s voice is thick with his southern accent. “I want to make you feel good…”_

Rhett blinked, trying to clear the vision away. It felt like a memory, but that never happened, not even in college. Rhett had dated some girl named Kimberly throughout college. Why did it feel so real? Why did he want it to be real? Link’s hand moved closer… 

__

> _Warm water cascades down Rhett’s back. He’s in the shower rinsing soap out of his hair. While his eyes are closed, he hears the shower curtain being pulled back but he just smiles._
> 
> _“I was almost done,” he says. “I saved some hot water for you, I promise.” Link steps in behind him, pressing his naked body against Rhett’s._
> 
> _“I couldn’t wait. I missed your body.” Link kisses Rhett’s back and the taller man can feel something hard poking against his butt. Rhett turns, his own body beginning to respond. He moans with pleasure as their erections brush up against one another. He leans down to kiss Link…_

Rhett’s heart was pounding. That didn’t happen - _would_ never happen. He didn’t even recognize the bathroom from the memory. Yet he could still feel Link’s wet skin against his own, the way their bodies fit perfectly together. It had felt so sensual. He had felt so happy. Had he ever been that happy? 

Link could sense his friend’s breathing grow faster and he chewed on his lip nervously. Looking up at Rhett, the brunet could just barely make out his eyes in the dim light; they were very dilated. Finally, throwing all caution to wind, Link’s inched his hand higher until he brushed the edges of Rhett’s groin. He could feel the man’s slight bulge and it gave him hope. There was attraction there. What more proof did Link need?

At the moment of contact, Rhett couldn’t take it anymore. He brought his gaze down to meet Link’s, but his eyes were immediately drawn to his friend’s lips. They were red and puffy from where he had been biting and they looked moist even in the dark room.

__

> _Link is on his knees, his hands positioned on Rhett’s hips to keep him steady. They were in a living room. His? Theirs? His blue eyes lock with Rhett’s aqua-green ones as he licks his perfect lips in anticipation._
> 
> _“Fuck, Link,” Rhett whispers. “I need you, please. I… I need…” Link smirks. His lips are already wet from his teasing, glistening with spit. He licks them again before going back again. With one smooth motion he opens his mouth and wraps those lips around the head of Rhett’s cock. He never pulls away his gaze as he takes more and more, bobbing his head faster now._
> 
> _Rhett is close, so close. He warns Link, but the man doesn’t stop. Faster, harder, deeper. Rhett is gonna come. He can’t stop it. His body shakes as he shoots his entire load down Link’s throat._
> 
> _When the brunet pulls away, a thin strand of saliva mixed with cum sticks between Rhett’s member and Link’s puffy lip. He has never looked so sexy…_

Rhett jumped off the couch. His head was spinning. What were these strange, intrusive thoughts? Hallucinations? Was he having a mental break down? Never before had he ever even dreamt of doing such a thing with another man, let alone with Link, his best friend. No, this was all wrong. What the hell was happening? 

“Are you okay?” came a shaky voice. Still seated on the couch, half covered in the blanket, Link looked scared, but in a new way. He was scared he had pushed his friend away again, that he had gone too far. Rhett didn’t want him to be upset. It wasn’t his fault Rhett was going crazy.

“I… I need to use the bathroom.” With that he rushed out of the room towards the bathroom before Link could ask anymore questions. He just needed a minute. Link, meanwhile, turned off the TV and turned on the table lamp.

‘ _I’ll play it off,_ ’ he thought. ‘ _I can’t let him know I did that on purpose. Maybe he’ll buy that and he won’t be mad at me._ ’ At least he had confirmed that Rhett could still be attracted to him. Before Rhett freaked out and leapt up, Link had defiantly felt a bulge, and he knew he had made it happen.

While he waited for his friend to return, Link walked about the living room picking up things a bit. He was trying to act as if everything was normal to help Rhett calm down when he came back. After putting away the now empty popcorn bowl, and folding up the blanket, he picked up Rhett’s coat to hang it up. He smiled and shook his head. Rhett never could learn to put his clothing away himself.

When Link picked up the coat, however, he heard something clatter to the floor. Looking down he saw a small, black velvet box on the ground. His carefree grin faded as he picked it up. His breathing hitched as he realized what it was.

Completely forgetting about the coat, letting it slip from his fingers to the floor, he slowly opened the velvet box. When he saw what it contained, his heart stopped.

Inside, nestled in a tiny foam slit, was a single diamond ring.

It was an engagement ring.

And he knew it wasn’t for him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link confronts Rhett about the ring and we learn how the new timeline became what it is today.

Link couldn’t breathe. His fingers were trembling as he stared down at the small box. The world felt like it was crashing down around him and he thought the ground itself was going to open up and swallow him; he almost hoped it would. He couldn’t believe it. It just couldn’t be true. It just… It couldn’t.

“He was going to propose?” he whispered. The words didn’t sound right in his ears. They didn’t feel right on his tongue. Everything was wrong. It was like a nightmare, one that he himself had created.

“You ok, buddy?” Rhett asked, coming into the room. He saw Link, hunched over by the couch, staring at something in front of him. Link didn’t answer, but slowly turned on the spot, the box still in his hands. He held it out, like it might bite him. Rhett’s face fell at the sight, remembering the perfect evening he had planned and ruined. Stepping closer after a moment, he took the box only to stare longingly at it.

“Forgot I had this with me,” he explained, quietly. “I had this whole night planed. Dinner. Music.”

“You were…” Link was having trouble getting out the words. “You were gonna… ask Jessie?”

“Yeah. I guess I’ll have to wait until she’s not mad at me anymore.” Rhett shut the box with a sigh and shrugged. “She’ll come around.”

“You want to marry her?” Link felt tears forming in his eyes.

“I do, Link.” The words Link had always wanted Rhett to say, but not like this. “She makes me happy.”

“Do you love her?” Rhett hesitated, surprising himself, before forcing himself to answer.

“Of course. She’s my girlfriend,” he replied. ‘ _I’m supposed to love her._ ’

Link closed his eyes. He wanted so much to be strong, but he couldn’t stand it. Not knowing what else to do, he walked over to the entryway, grabbed his car keys, and went to open the front door.

“Link?” Rhett put the velvet box in his pocket as he dashed to follow. “Link, where are you going?”

“I can’t be here right now. I have… I have to go.” He felt like he was on the verge of another break down, a repeat of when he had sobbed at work the other day. He didn’t want Rhett to see that, not again. He threw open the door.

“Link, wait!” Rhett grabbed his Link’s arm and the man stopped short. “You’re gonna, what? Storm out of your own house?”

“This isn’t my house.” Link didn’t turn around. “This isn’t my life.”

“What are you talking about? Link, please. Talk to me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I just-”

“You just love her.” His voice was so quiet now; his lungs feeling like a huge boulder was pressing down on them. Rhett’s response was almost as quiet.

“Yes.”

“Then I can’t be here. I don’t belong here.” Link tried to pull away, but Rhett’s grip held tight. He wouldn’t let him go.

“Don’t leave, Link. Please.” The desperation in Rhett’s voice, the sadness in his plea, tore Link’s soul in half. Finally he turned and looked into the man that he had known for thirty years. The man that he loved. The man he couldn’t live without.

He didn’t speak. He couldn’t find any words to say. With one stride he stepped toe to toe with Rhett before pulling him into an embrace. His hands wrapped around rhett’s head and, standing up on his toes, Link pressed their lips together. For a moment he didn’t care if it was wrong, he needed something to ground him, to remind him that he was still alive. Something that felt like home.

Rhett’s mind was running so fast, he couldn’t hear his own thoughts. His body responded without his consent and he found himself not only letting the kiss happen, but he kissing back. He held Link tightly, but gently. His lips caressed Link’s and he felt his own tongue make its way into the shorter man’s mouth. A soft moan met his ears, but he couldn’t tell if it was his own voice or that of his best friend. Either way, it brought him halfway back to his senses and he ripped himself away, holding the brunet at arm’s length.

“What are you doing?!” he demanded, catching his breath.

“I love you, Rhett, I always have. And you love me, I- I know you do.”

“No, no we can't…” Rhett’s head was still spinning. How did he get here? How could this ever have happened?

“Why not, Rhett? Tell me!” Rhett wanted to answer. He wanted to tell his friend how this was wrong on so many levels, but he couldn’t force the words to come out of his mouth. “I need you, Rhett,” Link continued. “I’m in love you and you’re in love with me, too. At least you used to be.” The taller man started to back away, still so uncertain.

“Link, I-”

“You have to remember. Please, look at me.” Rhett didn’t look his friend in the eyes, he couldn’t. Finding strength now, Link went on. “I don’t know what happened these past twenty years that kept us apart, that kept you away from me but… I’m here now.” He stepped closer to his friend, who looked wary, like he was afraid Link would kiss him again. “I’m here for you. You don’t have to be scared. You don’t have to lie anymore, not to me. I love you more than anything, Rhett. Anything in the whole world. I’d do anything for you.”

“Stop.” Rhett tone was quiet, but solid. Finally, he met other man’s gaze. Link froze. “You need to stop.”

“Rhett-”

“We can’t do this. This is wrong and I can't… I just can’t, Link.” He stepped away from Link, feeling inches away from being a broken man. Link stared for a moment, but he felt so close now, he couldn’t stop.

“What can I do, Rhett? What else can I do?”

“Nothing. I’m going to go home and sleep. You’re going to stay here and we’ll to forget this night ever happened. Then, on Monday-”

“What? Go back to our old lives? To just pretending?”

“I wasn’t pretending.” Rhett said far too quietly.

“Bullshit!” Link stepped closer and stared into Rhett’s eyes. “Look at me. Tell me you never once felt anything for me, ever.” A pause. Too long of a pause; it felt like an eternity.

Never. That’s what Rhett wanted to say. It’s what he was _supposed_ to say. He didn’t want to admit to the dark secret he had kept hidden for so many years, but as he looked into Link’s eyes he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t say it because it just wasn’t true.

“It doesn’t matter,” he answered quietly. “That door was shut a long time ago. Maybe once we could have… But that was a pipe dream. The foolish wishes of a stupid kid who didn’t know any better. There is no 'us'. There never can be. I’m sorry, Link. You’re my best friend but... that’s all.” Rhett stepped around Link towards the open door.

“Rhett… I can’t live like this.”

“Good bye, Link. I’ll… I’ll see you monday”

Rhett walked down the steps and across the lawn to his car. He didn’t look back. He knew it would have been the death of him. Link let the tears that had been gathering in his eyes finally fall as he whispered his reply.

“No. You won’t.”

~~~

Rhett dated Lisa for the rest of highschool, but they broke up when they didn’t get into the same college. He and Link stayed friends though, even becoming roommates at N.C. State. While the shorter boy had been bullied in Buies Creek over a rumor that he was gay, which he adamantly denied, life got better when they moved into Syme Dorm.

“Maybe if you dated a girl once in awhile,” Rhett suggested.

“I don’t want to date anyone,” Link argued. “Not boys, not girls, no one. I just want to focus on my school work or hang out with friends. Is that too much to ask?” Rhett shrugged. He had only been trying to help. He had since stopped wondering about that summer day when his best friend tried to kiss him. Surely the boy has only been goofing around, messing with him. Link didn’t want to kiss him, but Rhett had thrown it all out of proportion because… well… Because he was afraid. Afraid of what people might think. Afraid people might find out about his stupid horny teenager dreams.

Because that’s all they were. Out of control hormones trying to make sense of their new role in his body. He wasn’t gay. He didn’t want Link in _that_ way. His body was just confused, that’s all. It’s not like he wasn’t attracted to girls as well. Hell, he used to dry hump a stuffed animal now and then. He probably would have humped with anything that let him. His body didn’t know the difference.

Yet some days he would see Link, seated at his desk or lounging on his bed, and there would be a certain look in his eyes as he gazed off into space. Rhett would remember that day, when Link’s lips almost touched his and wondered… What if they hadn’t been interrupted? What if his lifelong friend still felt the same way? But then he’d remember the angry shouts of the boys who caught them. He remembered that any feelings beyond that of simple friendship were wrong. Wrong and confused. Men were supposed to be with women, not with other men. That’s the way things were.

As the years went by, he shut those memories into the back of his head, locking them up tight. He moved on, dating other girls though none for very long. Link stayed singled but always saying it was just because he wasn’t interested. He had other things to do. School, then work. Always something else on his mind, something more important.

More time passed. They quit their boring jobs and started a YouTube channel, full time, even moving clear across the country to start the own television show. The show didn’t really take off after the first season, but they stuck with it. They stayed in California and worked on their internet careers, managing to make a life of it. Things were going well.

Life in California was different, more accepting. Rhett had realized a long time ago that what he had been taught as a child, about different sexualities, had been rather backwards thinking. He accepted that there were other ways to love, that it didn’t have to be a man and a woman. He understood now that the feelings he has felt in his youth had not only been normal, but common. It made him feel a little better, knowing he was not a freak, but he also felt sad. He felt like it was too late to go back and change the past for the better.

Now he was stuck. He had an image to maintain. Rhett and Link: two down-home boys from good Christian homes. Wholesome and family friendly, they had to maintain a certain life to keep from losing viewers. It wasn’t so bad. He met Jessie, a beautiful woman from North Carolina as well, and they really hit it off. She was smart, gentle, and had a great sense of humor. Together she and Rhett could have a wonderful life and just be happy. She really did make him happy.

Link seemed happy too. As the constant bachelor of the duo, he had girls from all over the world constantly fawning over him. He got more than a few pairs of unmentionables in the mail from various hopeful ladies. On their show he flirted with the camera all the time, winking, waggling his eyebrows, making suggestive jokes. He loved the attention. At least, he appeared to, and never once did he mention that fateful day back in high school. Never once did he hint that he wasn’t into women. Never once did he make any sign that his feelings towards Rhett were anything more than brotherly love.

That’s just what they were. Rhett and Link. Two straight guys from North Carolina. Best friends for life. Nothing more. Nothing less. Rhett never doubted it. Never had a reason to.

Then Link had kissed him. He had pulled Rhett close and kissed him. All those feelings of how wrong it was that had been pounded into him as a child came flooding back, but not before he did what he never imagined. He had kissed Link back.

It wasn’t right, it made no sense. Rhett felt like he was going insane. First he saw Link where his girlfriend should have been. Then he said Link instead of Jessie on the night he was going to propose…

And those visions. Feeling Link, seeing him do such sinful things. Rhett thought he was losing his mind, and when his best friend… the man he thought he knew almost as well as himself… had kissed him…

Life was backwards. Everything was inside out and upside down. Rhett couldn’t tell where delusion ended and reality began. It was all so confusing. Too much. He couldn’t think. He needed time to think, time to figure it all out. So, trying to remain calm, he drove to the one place that he knew he could go this late at night and not be disturbed. One place that, in all of California, that he truly felt at home.

He just needed time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett's visions intensify, but rather than show him more carnal experiences with Link, they make him realize there's more to his feelings for his best friend.

The studio was empty. The last of the crew had left and gone home hours ago. It was downright spooky to see the whole place dark in the middle of the night, but it felt more like home than the rest of the world ever could. It was here his life always made sense, even when nothing else did. It was here he felt safe, even from himself. It was here that he spent so many hours, at this desk, on this set… next to Link.

Rhett sat down in the chair just as he had done countless times before, behind the desk that he had shared with his best friend for many years now, and tried to figure out how his mind could have gotten so lost. How he could have gotten so hopelessly lost. Despite his best efforts, he kept seeing images of strange, confusing things passing through his mind. Things that had never happened. Things that never _would_ happen. Things that could absolutely never be. Yet they had. He could feel it. More than just in his head, in his heart these visions… these memories… were real.

“No,” Rhett stated into the silence of the Good Mythical Morning set. “It’s not real. Those… things… never happened. It’s impossible.” Saying it out loud, the solid words spoken to reassure him of what was reality and what was possibly his growing insanity, failed to persuade the invading visions to fade. Not only that, it did nothing to push aside his growing doubt in his faith that Link had never been anything more than a friend.

For years he had told himself that his love for Link was a deep, brotherly affection, though he had to admit the bond between them was stronger than any friendship he had ever known or even heard of. He convinced himself that he never considered going beyond friends, not in any sexual way, but there was that tiny voice in the back of his mind that reminded him about his youth. The thoughts his teenage self had been desperate to hide, his adult self forced him to ignore. To forget.

The fleeting dreams of an angsty, hormonal teenager were no more than the stupid desires of a young man just figuring his newfound libido. At least, that’s what he had told himself, but now, as the visions of him and Link together flooded his conscious mind, he wasn’t so sure. Closing his eyes, he clenched his entire body, trying to rid himself of what he had always been told were dark and forbidden thoughts.

But no matter how hard he tried, another vision hit him like a wave. 

 

> _Rhett sighs as he gazes out at the rain pouring down outside. He and Link had planned to go out to the beach that day, maybe do a little surfing, but the rain is coming down too hard. It doesn’t look like it’s going to stop any time soon, either._
> 
> _“We’ll go to the beach another day,” Link says, standing behind his boyfriend. He wraps his arms around Rhett’s waist and lays his head against his back. “It’s not the end of the world.”_
> 
> _“I know.” Rhett hugs Link’s arms and gives a sad smile. “But I was looking forward to it. It’s been so long since we’ve had a legit date and…” He closes his mouth. He’s said too much. It was supposed to be a surprise._
> 
> _“Date?” Link perks up. “Were you going to surprise me with a beach date?”_
> 
> _“Had a whole picnic planned out and everything,” Rhett admits with a sigh. No point in hiding it all now, with the cat out of the bag._
> 
> _“The beach will still be there-”_
> 
> _“Yeah but with GMM, the new Buddy System shoots coming up… I don’t know when we’ll have time again.” Rhett gave a short chuckle. “Who knew being a YouTuber would be so taxing?” Link smiles and sighs in agreement. For a few minutes they just stand there, watching the heavy raindrops fall hard against the window, just enjoying each other’s presence and lamenting their lost beach trip._
> 
> _“You know what?” Link finally asks. “This day doesn’t have to be a total loss.”_
> 
> _“How so?” Rhett wonders as the shorter man pulls away. His blue eyes are lit up, his smile devious and knowing._
> 
> _“Just meet me at the studio in about an hour or so. I have an idea.” As he heads out of the living room, Rhett is left to wonder what plan his love has in mind._

Back in the present the tall blond man headed out of the main GMM set. Down the hall sat a small private theater where the crew would hang out, screening videos before posting them, as well as playing the occasional video game. He and Link would sometimes watch movies in there, when they had the time. As he stepped onto the darkened room the vision continued.

 

> _“Link?” Rhett’s voice echoes throughout the studio. He doesn’t hear a response right away, which surprises him. As he searches room after room, he realizes that no one in the crew is here, which is odd even when he and Link have a day off._
> 
> _“In here, Rhett!” comes a voice, finally. It’s Link, in the theater. Following his boyfriend's call, Rhett enters the large room which is the only place in all of mythical entertainment that has lights on._
> 
> _Covering the floor in front of the giant screen, are several large towels, mostly white and beige with a single purple one in the far corner. In the middle is a huge beach umbrella set up on its side and beneath its canopy, sitting on one of two lounge beach chairs, is Link dressed only in a pair of swim trunks. He smiles up at Rhett with one of his famous crooked smiles._
> 
> _“Hey, Rhett! You ready for our beach date?” Rhett can’t help but grin._
> 
> _“Beach date?”_
> 
> _“Yeah! Can’t you tell?” Link motions around the room. “The towels are the sand. Ran out of beige so some of the sand is white.”_
> 
> _“What’s that smell?”_
> 
> _“Oh!” The brunet bends around the umbrella to where some tasty items are hiding. “I ordered some pizza and coke.”_
> 
> _“Traditional beach date food?” Rhett chuckles._
> 
> _“Absolutely, and that’s not all.” He motions for Rhett to wait as gets to his feet. “Wait here.” Rhett just a shakes his head as Link practically sprints out of the room. He doesn’t have to wait long before he finds out what the next surprise is. The lights go dim and the giant screen turns on. The familiar title screen of the movie ‘Jaws’ fills his view. He laughs out loud at the sight._
> 
> _Link is soon back, grinning proudly._
> 
> _“The perfect beach movie,” he states. Rhett nods as Link sits down in the chair beside him and pops the top of a coke can. He hands it to Rhett. “I know it’s not the real beach, but I hope-”_
> 
> _“It’s perfect.” Rhett leans over to kiss Link lightly on the cheek. “I hate sand in my food anyway.” The two men settle in to watch the movie…  
>  _

As the vision faded, Rhett realized there was a strange smile on his face. The memory was so fresh, he could still smell the food, feel Link’s stubble on his lips, and feel the happiness in his heart. It was such a sweet memory that if it hadn’t been real, he wished it was. He couldn’t recall being that content before. It didn’t feel dirty; it didn’t feel wrong. It felt right. It felt… perfect.

Crossing the room, the floor undecorated with towels or lawn chairs, Rhett sat down in the front seat and looked at the blank screen. He stopped trying to keep these visions at bay, now curious as to what he was going to see next, and just let them wash over him. No longer wanting to fight them, he felt them come faster now, one after the other, and even clearer than before.

 

> _It’s chilly out; well, as chilly as summer nights can get in southern California. Rhett is sitting on a low hill, just north of Burbank. He turns to his left and Link is there. He’s always there. His bright eyes are gazing up at the clear night sky, trying to find that single pinprick of light with his name on it._
> 
> _“It’s just there,” Rhett says as he points to the star in question. He can easily pick it out himself; after all, he’s the one who named it. It’s not the brightest star in heavens, but it twinkles quite nicely next to Ursa Major. Link squints again before bending down to peer into the small telescope Rhett has brought just for this occasion. The blond man has already aimed it so it points directly at ‘Linkstar’._
> 
> _“I think I see it,” Link says, not looking up. “Just to the right of the big dipper?”_
> 
> _“That’s it.”_
> 
> _“Wow.” Link pulls away from the telescope to look up at his star with the naked eye. He’s silent for a moment. “You really named it after me, huh?”_
> 
> _“I really did.” Rhett lets out a soft sigh as Link lays back on the ground next to him. “There are billions and billions of stars in the night sky, but even all combined they’re still only a fraction as beautiful as the stars in your eyes.”_
> 
> _“That’s quite possibly the corniest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Link notes, but even in the pale moonlight Rhett can see he’s blushing._
> 
> _“Doesn’t make it untrue.” He leans over to kiss those perfect cupid’s bow lips. His own little taste of heaven…_

 

> _They’re sitting on the bottom bunk of their college dorm. Link is curled up beside Rhett, crying as softly as he can while Rhett’s arms are wrapped around him. It’s very late… or very early. The rest of the dorm is deathly quiet._
> 
> _“Shh, it’s ok, Link.” He whispers. Link shakes his head, not believing. “You can’t let their words get to you. I know. I know how it feels to have them call you names…”_
> 
> _“They said we were going to hell,” the shorter boy whispers. “That you were a faggot and I’m your fagboy bitch.” His whole body shakes from the memory._
> 
> _“They’re just jealous assholes. You can’t listen to them. Doesn’t even make sense, anyway.”_
> 
> _“Maybe we should stop-”_
> 
> _“Don’t say that.” Rhett can’t help but let one of his own tears fall down his face. The thought of losing Link in anyway is too much. They’ve been through too much. “We’re not doing anything wrong.”_
> 
> _“But-”_
> 
> _“I can’t, Link. I need you. I’d be lost without you.” He holds Link close, trying to shut out the darkness, protect them both from the stupid world that seemed unwilling to accept them…_

 

  
__

> _Rhett is alone. He lays back on the couch in his living room, mindlessly flipping through channels on the television. Link isn’t here because he’s back home, in North Carolina, visiting family. He’s only been gone for a few days, but it already feels like it’s been forever. Being alone this long never feels right. Rhett feels so empty without Link…_
> 
> _The phone rings and Rhett almost drops the remote as he fumbles to mute the show he finally found. Picking up his cellphone he checks the caller ID. It’s Link. Immediately he answers, eager to hear his boyfriend’s voice._
> 
> _“Link?”_
> 
> _“Hey Rhett! I didn’t think you’d still be up. I didn’t wake you did I? How are you doing?”_
> 
> _“I can’t sleep. I’m not used to you not lying next to me. The whole house is spooky. I miss you.”_
> 
> _“I miss you too, bo. I’ll be home tomorrow, though.”_
> 
> _“Promise?” He can hear Link’s wide grin through the phone as he chuckles._
> 
> _“I promise, Rhett. I miss my coffee maker.”_
> 
> _“Right. Well, I sold it. I_ am _the jealous type.”_
> 
> _“I’d never leave you, you know that. What would I do without you?”_
> 
> _“I love you too, Link.”  
>  _

“I love you too, Link,” Rhett whispered into the empty room. The vision faded as quickly as it arrived, leaving him back in the present, but the emotions were still there. They had always been there, he had just refused to let them in. Refused to let himself feel them. His love for Link, his longing. This was more than just a sex-crazed desire. This was a love that couldn’t be defined and he suddenly couldn’t understand why he had kept it at arm’s length for so long.

Why he’d kept Link at arm’s length for all these years.

The studio didn’t seem as welcoming anymore. No longer the safe haven from these maddening visions that he had been fighting. Now it was just another building, filled with memories but nothing else. Memories and emotions that were hollow without Link by his side.

Rhett didn’t know what he was going to say or do about the strange, yet familiar, sensation growing in his heart, but he knew he had to find his friend. He needed to talk to him, to just be next to him. Whatever this was, he couldn’t go through it by himself. Never had he felt this alone. He realized he had put himself here, walled himself off from his real emotions, from what he really wanted.

From Link.

Walking quickly, Rhett navigated the dark hallways of the studio until he got to the parking lot. Once in his car he started it up and began driving back to Link’s place. He hoped his best friend of thirty-plus years would understand and forgive. He could barely explain what was going through his head to himself, but if anyone could sympathize, it would be Link. Link always was there, in every version of Rhett’s memory. Link was always willing to listen. Maybe there was more to Link's feelings as well.

So much was happening in Rhett’s mind and heart that he could scarcely think about anything but getting back to Link. He owed him so much, least of which was an apology for storming out so rashly. As he pulled into the man’s driveway, the lights were all still on and that gave him a glimmer of hope. The front door wasn’t locked and he stepped inside with a short rap on the door.

“Link!” he called out. The living room was empty. “Link?” His heart pounding in his chest, Rhett searched the entire house, top to bottom, and soon came to the very unpleasant conclusion. His best friend and possibly the man he’d secretly been in love with for years was not home. He checked outside but to no avail.

Link was simply nowhere to be found.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without Rhett as anything but a friend, Link is unsure he can go on, but then Rhett shows up...

Link stood on the edge of the precipice, looking down at the darkened hillside. He couldn’t recall how long he’d been standing here. He’d been here hundreds of times before, even when it was this dark, but this time was different. Many times he had stood here, looking down at the majestic landscape, just taking in the view or maybe resting after a long bike ride. He never thought he’d be standing here, at the top of the mountain, thinking about taking a shortcut to the bottom.

The wind was still; the damp air calm and warm from the sun even this long after its disappearance. It was deathly quiet, not even cicadas were chirping in the nearby brush. It was like the whole world was hiding from him, uncaring about his pain. Uncaring if he should jump, or not; live or die. The dark clouds above even hid the moon and stars from him, as if he was unworthy of their light. A storm was rapidly approaching and every other sensible person was long gone from these wilds.

It had all seemed so clear when he drove in his personal car, his mountain bike hitched to the rack on the bumper, up to his favorite trail. One of the highest peaks in a twenty mile radius, he could see the lights of the city from all the way up here. Even this late at night Los Angeles was fully awake and bustling. Somewhere in that hectic town, the source of his anguish and inner turmoil was no doubt living his life without a care in the world. Seemingly oblivious to the torture he was putting Link through.

This was a new kind of misery. It wasn’t long ago that he was suffering from losing Rhett to the great beyond and whatever existence there was after this life. Now his suffering was from having his true love right beside him but unable to do anything about it. He felt like he was in a cage, able to view him, talk to him, but not allowed to do much else. In his heart he knew he would never again be able to touch him like he did before. He couldn’t hold him close like he did before. He would miss the tender looks they used to exchange, the tender kisses that he could still feel on his lips. Unable to have the love that had been such a part of his life, the most important part, he felt he had lost Rhett all over again. It was all too much and he just couldn’t take it any longer. A single tear ran down his cheek as he inched closer to the edge.

‘ _One step._ ’ He thought. ‘ _One step and it would be all over._ ’ As he had ridden his mountain bike up the long, treacherous path to this point, his mission had seemed so simple, he had been so sure. Now, standing here, so close to actually going through with his plan, he felt hesitation. The deep rooted instinct of self preservation was kicking in, but it was more than just that.

‘ _I can’t. I can’t just end it like this._ ’

‘ _I can’t_ live _like this either,_ ’ his brain replied. Closing his eyes, Link shook his head in defiance.

‘ _I can’t do this. I can’t do this to him._ ’ Despite all his pain and sorrow, despite the fact that Rhett would never love him the same way again, Link knew his best friend would be heartbroken at his death, and he didn’t want to cause the man any more pain than he probably already had. Link knew what it was to have your best friend die; he had experienced it first hand and it’d nearly destroyed him. There had to be another way, he just had no idea what it could be.

“Link!” The yell cut through the silence like a razor and Link jumped at the sound. Turning on the spot he saw a tall figure quickly approaching from the nearby trail, dressed in light blue tuxedo pants and a white, buttoned shirt. He was clearly out of breath but upon catching sight of Link, he raced to grab him and pull him away from the edge. “What… what are you doing up here?” He was still panting but his eyes bore into the shorter man, desperate for answers, clearly scared to ask the real question on his mind.

“I had to leave. I had to… I needed to think.” Link couldn’t seem to look his friend in the eyes, ashamed of why he had really come here. Rhett paused a moment, waiting for Link to say more, to explain more, but then took his best friend in his arms and held him tightly. It didn’t matter what crazy thoughts had been running through his mind, or what strange, uncomfortable feelings his heart had recently been feeling. He needed Link close to him right then. Needed to feel like he could hold him and protect him from whatever had really brought him to this desolate location. He just needed him.

“How did you find me?” Link whispered, after a moment, his voice quiet and unsteady. Rhett pulled away just enough so he could look his friend in the eyes.

“When I got back to your place I didn’t know what had happened, at first. Then I went into your garage and saw your car and bike were gone. I wasn’t sure but… I knew this was your favorite place to go when you biking and… I guess I just took a chance that you’d be here. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here.” ‘ _I don’t know what you would have done if I hadn’t been…_ ’ he added to himself.

“I was just thinking. Really, I… I just…”

“I’m sorry,” Rhett interrupted. “I’m sorry for leaving you before. For… for saying those things. I didn’t… I still don’t… understand… everything.” Link felt tears threatening to fall again, but he held them back. “I don’t know how long you’ve… uh, felt… you know.. that way about me but…” Rhett ran his fingers through his hair, disheveled as the pomade had long since failed him. “Sorry I’m not very good at this.”

“You shouldn’t have to apologize. I’m the one who… who should apologize. I shouldn’t have tried to… I shouldn’t have kissed you. I… I shouldn’t have yelled. I’m just… going through some things.”

‘ _You’re not the only one,_ ’ Rhett thought. A cold breeze suddenly blew past and Link shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. He looked so vulnerable; the taller man wanted to hold him again but he was afraid.

“I was scared,” Rhett admitted. “I never knew you felt this way about me.”

“I tried to tell you… once.”  
__

>   
>  Rhett was sitting on the back of the truck bed. He reached for the bottle of clearly canadian. His best friend of ten years did the same. As the shorter boy started to lean in, his fingertips brushed along the taller boy’s jaw, his own lips parting slightly as he got closer…  
> 

Rhett blinked the memory away. It wasn’t like one of those visions. It was a memory he had replayed in his head countless times in his youth. A memory he had tried very hard to forget.

“In high school,” Rhett remembered. Link’s breathing stopped for a moment and he looked up at his friend with the slightest glimmer of hope. “You- you tried to…” He found the words hard to say but he forced himself to say them. He had to. Hiding all these years had done no good. “…to kiss me. On the back of your truck.”

Link took a slow breath and let it out even slower. So it had been real. Even having experienced it all himself, he always had a speck of doubt that traveling back in time had been nothing more than a dream, but now he was certain. He had gone back and changed things, and not completely for the better.

“I’m sorry I did that too. I was weak. I just… I wanted…” Rhett shook his head.

“You’re not weak. You never have been. You have always been the stronger of us. I was weak to… to hide f-from…” From what? The world? Us? The truth?

Himself?

As he tried to work out how he wanted to end that sentence, he felt the first few raindrops fall onto his face and head. Link felt some too. Before he had not been worried about the storm, figuring he would not be around to see it anyway.

“We should head back.” After a split second, Link nodded in agreement. His rash decision to come here now seemed like a stupid mistake, and his desire to end his pain this way was quickly fading. It still hurt, but he wasn’t ready to take it away just yet. Not when Rhett was so close to him. Not with that smidgen of hope appearing once again.

Rhett’s car was over half a mile away. He must have jogged the whole way to get here when he did. Link was impressed. Rhett wasn’t out of shape by any means, but he was never a big runner. Traveling along these rugged trails couldn’t have been good on his back. As the two men made their way back, Link jogging alongside his bicycle, the storm quickly got worse; thunder rolled overhead like an angry beast, and lightning flashed more and more often. Long before reaching the main road, they came across a small building: a secluded ranger station that was currently unoccupied. It wasn’t locked so they ducked inside to wait out the storm.

The inside was relatively clean so it probably wasn’t abandoned. It was just large enough to fit a desk and chair as well as a small bed and some cabinets. Whoever was stationed here probably had to stay for long periods of time, keeping a lookout for forest fires and mudslides. Link wondered when they would be back. Probably not soon, if the weather was any indication. He and Rhett would be on their own until the rain died down. Link found a switch and turned on the small desk lamp to light the place, but it barely kept the shadows at bay even in the small room.

Rhett whipped his head from side to side, shaking the water droplets that had collected in his hair. The dirty blond strands that usually stood up and back perfectly were now draped over his forehead, damp and flat. He looked like he just got out of the shower. Link’s hair was in similar state, with his dark brown locks matted down. He tried to sweep them back into place but it didn’t really help. Rhett gave a low chuckle at the sight.

“Your hair’s all wet,” he commented.

“So’s yours,” Link retorted. He reached a tender hand up and brushed a few stray hairs off of Rhett’s face. Then, sheepishly he pulled away, knowing he probably shouldn’t be doing that. He looked down but there was an odd silence that followed. Rhett held his breath. The touch had been so soft, so tender, and so unlike any touch he’d ever received from Link. Not that his best friend couldn’t be gentle but there was more to the feeling of the man’s fingertips passing over his skin. Even though his fingers were cold, they left trails of fire in their wake, and Rhett gazed down at the man before him, seeing him in a light he never thought possible.

Looking up, Link saw an unusual look in Rhett’s eye. A familiar look, but not one that he had seen before. Not in this Rhett. Not in this timeline. It wasn’t lust, exactly. Love, but not a love shared between friends no matter how close. An adoration, a devotion that Link had not hoped to ever see again.

Rhett looked down at Link, at his blue eyes sparkling in the dim light of the room. He could feel his heart still pounding from the run here, or maybe it was from something else. Standing so close to Link, he felt a scandalous urge but he no longer cared for right and wrong, for weird or normal. Without a word he bent down slightly, closing the short distance between them. He cupped the man’s jaw gently in his hand and with a deep breath, pressed their lips together.

As soon as their faces touched, his heart soared. He only meant to brush Link’s lips for a moment but never before had he felt such elation, such electricity in a kiss. Yet… he had somehow. Somehow this kiss was new and familiar at the same time. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered just then, only kissing Link. For a brief moment, Link didn’t respond, confused and scared, but soon he didn’t care either. He pressed back, eager and desperate for contact. Too long he had been denied, rejected. Too long he had been scared this would never happen again. Now it was. Somehow, it really was.

Lightning flashed outside, the tempest raged with all its fury, but inside time stood still. Rhett took Link in his arms and held him close. Link fell into his best friend’s arms, desperate to be held. The two of them latched onto that moment, neither wanting it to ever stop.

Both needing so much more.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The storm hits with all it's fury while visions of another life collide with events of the here and now.

The storm raged outside, but for the two men in the small ranger station, the only thing that existed was one another and the kiss that they shared. After a moment, Rhett had to pull away to breathe and their eyes met. His eyes were full of trepidation, the doubt of if he should be doing this, if this was even real. Link’s eyes, however shown only with a calm composure, trust, and a certainty that gave the taller man more confidence than he had ever imagined possible. Confidence to continue. Confidence to go further.

His hands were shaking, half from the cold and half from nervousness. Slowly one felt its way down Link’s shoulder and chest to the top button of his dark, blue shirt. As the first button came undone, Rhett held his breath. He gradually moved his hand down to the next and the next, popping each one with tender care, as if they were made of glass. With each button undone, more of Link’s chest came into view, as cold and damp from the rain as the rest of him. Rhett’s fingers burned where they brushed his skin but it was a wonderful burn.

Link wanted to rip Rhett’s clothes off. He wanted to rip his own clothes off and toss his friend to the nearby bed to ravish him then and there, but he held back. Flashes of those bygone days back in college, nervous touches and hesitant movements while each of them tested out their limits passed before his eyes. It was like seeing it all over again in Rhett’s expression, feeling it in his hands. It was the innocence of new, uncharted territory, and Link was more than willing to let him explore, let him set his own pace; let him remember on his own, unpressured.

Once the last button was free, Rhett grasped the collar of Link’s shirt and peeled the damp fabric from his torso. Link shivered, the warm air of the room feeling good on his chilled body. As Rhett pulled the shirt off his arms, Link felt tickling goosebumps run all the way down to his hands. He bit his lip to keep from giggling, not wanting to break the moment or embarrass his friend.

As Rhett ran his fingers down Link’s bare chest, tenderly exploring flesh he had seen many times but never dreamt about wanting so much, it wasn’t just about raw desire. It was about accepting how much he wanted to touch and realizing he was allowed to touch. Realizing that this could all be his if he wanted. He saw it in Link’s face: the man would give him anything he wanted. Anything. Rhett’s every wish would be fulfilled if he only said the words.

Link helped him remove the shirt before tossing it aside. He made no move to remove Rhett’s clothing, but waited patiently, obediently. For the moment he was content to just be seen, to let his friend take his time examining every inch of his wet skin like he’d never seen it before. Eventually Rhett pulled his own shirt up over his head and, with a little help from Link, removed it completely. It seemed only fair and he wasn’t quite ready to see more of the shorter man just yet.

Bare chested, he embraced Link once more, kissing his lips, his neck and the sharp blades of his shoulders. Nothing had ever tasted so good: rainwater mixed with dust and salt, and a trace of something that was uniquely Link. Rhett wanted to lick up and down his entire body, just tasting, but there were still a few things in the way.

Without even looking, he moved his talented fingers to the button on Link’s jeans, undoing it with more boldness than the shirt buttons. Link moaned quietly as he felt the zipper pulling opened, slowly. His skinny jeans had never felt so tight before; both from the water that had managed to soak the dark fiber and from his growing arousal. Rhett slipped his hands down inside the jeans, back around his hips and gripped his ass. He inhaled deeply as he squeezed, feeling his own restrain slipping away. With a single step he pressed Link’s back hard against the wall, holding his pelvis up against his own.

Part of Rhett’s mind was screaming at him, tell him this was wrong. His best friend of three decades, his _male_ friend… practically humping him up against a wall in a tiny, dingy cabin… but it felt so right at the same time. Visions of the past swirled around his head. Things that had and had not happened blurred together in a cloud of confusion. What was reality and what was fantasy merged until he couldn’t tell the difference. He couldn’t tell what he wanted to be real or true. Were they dreams wrought from a madness or actual events from the past? Were these memories or just the illusions of deja vu? His body wanted this, but his mind was tearing itself apart trying to find footing in the chaos.

“Link,” Rhett whimpered against Link's neck as loosened his grip, his voice little more than a sultry hush. “Fuck, Link. I think I’m losing my mind.” Link held him close, the palms of his hands pressed firmly on his back, afraid he would pull away and never come back.

“Just hold me, Rhett,” he whispered. “I’m so cold.” Rhett nodded, empathizing in his friend’s discomfort and looked around to the bed. It was only a double bed, but still that was better than the cot he had expected. Trying to find some semblance of logic and reason, he turned to what he knew. He knew that to avoid hypothermia, that several steps needed to be taken to keep warm. Not the least of which was to remove wet clothing and wrap up in warm blankets.

“Come here.” Leading Link towards the edge of the bed, Rhett carefully began removing the man’s jeans. They were fairly damp, but he managed to pull them down without much trouble. Whether he couldn’t see well in the darkness, or he just chose to ignore it, he didn’t say a single word about the growing tightness in Link’s briefs. Once the pants were down, he guided Link into a sitting position and knelt down to remove the man’s shoes and socks, as well as finally pulling off the offending jeans. With most of his clothing removed, Link began to really feel the shivers creeping up and down his body.

Without thinking, Rhett gently took Link’s glasses off with both hands. He could barely see Link’s eyes in the dim room but he gazed down into those deep pools for a few moments before he could pull away. It would be so easy to lose himself in those eyes. Lose himself to a void he still didn’t know if he wanted or not. Crossing over to the desk, he placed the glasses next to the lamp with care. When he looked back at Link he had already laid down in the bed and was quickly covering himself with the rough blanket. Rhett sighed but he wasn’t sure exactly why, whether from relief or disappointment.

He turned away to removed his own clothing, remembering the best way to keep warm was with body heat. The more skin on skin contact the better. Moments later, Link felt him crawl into the bed and he scooted back to give him what room he could on the small mattress. Lightning flashed outside and for a brief moment they could see each other’s faces clearly. Each shown with sweat and rain. Each displayed both fear and hope; hesitation and anticipation. Neither was blind to the intimate nature of their positions. Neither ignorant to the possibilities of their closeness.

As the resounding thunder answered the lightning, Link turned to face away from his friend, lying his head down to go to sleep. Rhett looked at the back of his head for a time before daring to speak again.

“Are you still cold?” Link only nodded in reply. Scooting forward, Rhett placed his body flush with that of his friend and wrapped one arm around the man’s waist while the other he folded under his own head. He held the other man close, chest against back, legs next to legs, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. “Is.. is this okay?” he hesitantly asked.

“Much better. Thank you.” It was more than better. It was perfect. Their bodies, though cold and damp, fit together perfectly as if they were made to be placed side by side. Link wanted to cry again but this time from the happiness of being held once more. Here he was safe. Here was home. Rhett couldn’t help but feel the same way. He couldn’t recall ever laying like this with Link yet he felt he had done it thousands of times before. Taking a deep breath, taking in the glorious scent that was his best friend and the man he truly loved, he set aside trying to figure out the monster of a puzzle in his brain and just live in the moment.

Slowly he lowered his hand from where it had been just holding onto Link’s waist, sliding down over his stomach towards the top of his black briefs. He could feel his own heart pounding in his chest, scared but excited. Link closed his eyes, surrendering to Rhett’s touch, eagerly anticipating what was to come. His member was already hard and waiting as Rhett’s fingers eased their way past the elastic band and into the underwear, brushing against the skin. Link tried to hold back a moan but it came out as a soft whine, desperate and needy.

Rhett’s bearded lips brushed lightly against the back of Link’s ear; he wanted to whisper to him, tell him how much he wanted this, ask him if he wanted this too. He wanted to say something but he couldn’t bring himself to. It would break the moment. He could hear Link trying to hold back making noise as well, but being far less successful. As Rhett moved his hand lower, Link’s mouth fell open, gasping softly between each breath.

Finally Rhett’s entire hand lay beside Link’s depraved erection. He grasped it gingerly, somehow knowing exactly how to hold it as if he had done so many times before. Delicately he glided his palm around the shaft, his thumb rubbing over the head, feeling a dampness unrelated to the rain. Stroking down he brushed the edges of the scrotum, teasing and tantalizing. He savored every sensation, every tender caress and it wasn’t only Link that he was turning on. As the shorter man writhed in pleasure, Rhett felt his own need rubbing up against Link’s backside, With every aching second he felt himself getting closer to that sweet release. 

> _  
> They are lying in their shared kingsized bed at home. Rhett is spooning Link, his right hand gripping the shorter man’s hip tightly as he thrusts inside him again and again. Sweat drips from their bodies. Link is moaning loudly, clinging to the bedsheets nearby. They haven’t made love in a long while and he is relishing the sensation of having his lover finally inside him, filling him up completely._
> 
> _Rhett growls in his ear. His fingernails will leave marks on his lover’s skin but neither cares. They are more than the marks of passion. They are signs that Link is his, always was, always will be. No one else can have him. No one will see them but later, while they are apart, Link will feel them and remember this moment. Remember and rejoyce._
> 
> _“Oh,” Link mewls. “Oh, Rhett…” His voice catches in his throat, but the meaning is clear. His body tenses and Rhett knows it’s time. He reaches down, stroking Link’s member. He wants them to finish together._
> 
> _“Yes, Link,” he purrs. “Come for me….”  
>  _

The vision quickly faded, merging with the present. Both men take it in, unaware of how the other had seen it too. Two versions of the past, converging on the present, culminating in a single perfect moment. Rhett bucked against his lover, his hand stroking harder now, hearing the desperate plea in his panting breaths. He could feel his body begin to tense.

“Oh, Rhett,” Link whispered. So close, so close now. Rhett was close too. He ground his hips slowly against the other man and brushed his lips against his ear once more.

“Yes, Link…” He didn’t utter another word. He didn’t need to. The memory from another time was so fresh, and the sensations too much. With a low moan, Link’s body clenched hard and he spasmed in ecstasy. Rhett felt his body tense and drove himself one more time against his companion’s backside, coming with his own, soft groan. He didn’t let go until he was sure Link was spent, and even then held on as he felt the man become soft in his hand.

He was sticky, but he was tired, and more than anything his hunger had finally been satiated. As he held Link tightly against him once more, this time in the most tender of embraces, he felt the pull of sleeping tugging at his consciousness. The thunder outside was finally silent, the patter of rain the only sound to be heard. Link smiled as his heartbeat slowed back to normal and he sighed with contentment. Together, both in desperate need of a shower, they let themselves drift off, leaving the mess of their bodies and their lives, to be dealt with in the morning only a few hours away.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the new past Link made, we learn what happened to young Link after his future self returned to the future.  
> (And if that sentence made sense to you, congratulations! There's more twisting time stuff to come)  
> Meanwhile, in the present, the new timeline struggles to make things right, to straighten out the wrinkles Link's trip made. This time it's Link that sees visions from the other side.

Link’s vision blurred as his eyes filled with tears. He just barely made it into the boy’s bathroom before he began to full on cry, his chest heaving with every sob. Ducking into the large, handicap stall at the far end, he prayed to whatever god might still be listening that no one came to the room after him. He slid the small bolt into place before leaning against the door and surrendering to the sorrow.

It seemed as if the days like this were happening more and more often. Link couldn’t wait to leave for college and get away from this awful town forever. Maybe in a new place, a new school, the other students won’t be so cruel.

This wasn’t the first time the other boys had taunted him like this. Ever since word got out that Link tried to kiss his best friend, Rhett, everyone was talking about how he was gay. It wasn’t fair, mostly because he didn’t even remember doing it. Not really. He had a vague memory of leaning towards Rhett’s mouth but he couldn’t recall making himself do that. He thought it had been a dream for awhile; he’d had many dreams like that in the past, but he soon realized that it had really happened. It _had_ happened and the whole school now knew about it and his ‘abnormal inclinations’.

They called him perverted, nasty, and all sorts of vulgar things not generally spoken in polite company. Most of the time Link could ignore them, let the vile slurs go by, but today it was different. Today it hurt more than any other time and he couldn’t handle it anymore.

Rhett and Link had been walking across the football field during lunch, where they had been just hanging out and talking about nothing in particular. The bell for the next class was going to ring at any moment so they were in a bit of a hurry. The shorter of the two boys stumbled slightly over his feet before pausing to examine his shoes.

“Shoot,” he bemoaned. “My laces came undone.” He knelt down to fix his shoes but Rhett only slowed down.

“We’re gonna be late, Link!”

“You go on! I’ll just be a minute.” Rhett hesitated for a second before dashing off to class. By the time Link looked up, his friend was long gone but that was alright. It wouldn’t take much to catch up with him.

Running after the blond boy, Link was just turning the corner of the bleachers when he bumped into a small gathering of his fellow students. He knew most of their names, but had never really spoken to any of them. They all shot him equally vicious looks as he came into view. As he skidded to a halt, Link looked past them, looking desperately for his friend. He caught sight of him across the small courtyard, standing next to the corner of the brick school building, watching the scene unfold.

Link was hopeful for a moment, but as he watched on, he saw the boy he had been friends with for a decade turn away and head out of sight. He had left Link alone to deal with the bullies and that hurt more than any vulgar word, any bruising punch or kick than these boys could deliver. It was that abandonment that led the brunet to need a place to hide in this filthy bathroom all alone.

No one followed him. While most of him wanted to just crawl into a dark hole and die, part of him wanted someone to come in and talk to him. Anyone. Someone to tell him everything was going to be alright, to tell him he wasn’t disgusting, but no one came. He stayed in that stall, by himself, crying until he had no more tears left to cry. It was only a few hours but it really was just the beginning. As he grew older he began to realize he would always be alone. No one was coming to help him.

No one would ever come.

So he hid the truth, from his family, from his friends. From anyone and everyone he knew. It seemed he had learned the hard way that being attracted to his male friend was not only morally wrong, it was dangerous. He tried to turn his desires towards the female sex, but it did no good. Eventually he just resolved to avoid sex and love altogether. Nothing good could come of it anyway. If he couldn’t have Rhett he didn’t want anyone and, as the world made it perfectly clear time after time, Rhett was forbidden.

~~~

Rhett slept in much later than he usually did, even on a weekend morning. He didn’t open his eyes right away, exploring with his other senses first to remind him of where he was. He felt a body in his arms, soft and warm. Sneaking a squinting peek he managed to make out a mop of dark hair just below his eyes and for the briefest of moments he thought it was his girlfriend, Jessie, lying with him as she often did.

Then he remembered.

He felt like he should have been repulsed, or ashamed, but far from that he smiled and held Link closer to his chest. With a content sigh, he closed his eyes again, happy to just lie here for awhile longer, breathing in the scent of his best friend and now lover.

Lover. The word soaked slowly into his mind, coating his brain with a strange feeling of tranquility. It was weird, it was new. It was familiar, it was perfect. It was the most comfortable he had ever been and he wasn’t ready to get up just yet.

Link felt a set of strong arms wrap around him and he fidgeted from the unexpected sensation. Not quite asleep, not quite awake, for a few moments he didn’t really care about where he was or who had him in such an intimate embrace. As he slowly faded into consciousness he began to question his location and the identity of his apparent bedmate. Touching the arm that was tucked just under his ribs he ran his hands over the coarse arm hair and his eyes suddenly flew opened.

“Rhett?” he asked, hesitantly. The taller man nuzzled his head, lovingly and Link froze. So it hadn’t been a dream.

“Morning, darlin’,” Rhett purred. His lips moved down to caress Link’s earlobe but the brunet wiggled out of the way. Chuckling and thinking his friend playing a game, Rhett bent down to kiss Link’s neck, but suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his shin. “Ow! Hey, Link! Not so rough, huh?”

“Back off, man!” Link exclaimed, struggling to free himself from Rhett’s grasp. Once free, he crossed the room to get his glasses and put them on. Rhett looked up at him from the bed, now lying on his back so he could see the other man.

“Link?” he asked, suddenly afraid of Link’s behavior. “You ok? You don’t… you don’t regret last night… do you?”

“Regret?” Link scoffed. “Last night was the biggest mistake of my life!” ‘ _Second biggest_ ,’ his brain corrected him. ‘ _The first was falling in love with this lunatic._ ’ Rhett was crushed. Sitting up he suddenly felt very exposed, still naked from last night. He pulled the blanket around his waist. Link meanwhile began hurriedly getting dressed, his jeans and shirt still slightly wet from the rain storm. He removed his stained underwear, choosing to go commando for the time being until he could take a shower.

“Get dressed,” he huffed, chucking a pair of light blue tux pants at Rhett, frustrated by the man’s lack of movement. “Or don’t, I don’t care. I really don’t want to be here when the guy who works here comes back.” Sighing, Rhett stood to put on his own drawers on followed by his mostly-clean dress pants, but he didn’t take his eyes of Link for a second.

“Link.” The brunet didn’t answer. “Link, please listen.” Still nothing. Rhett grabbed Link’s arm as he moved to grab his shoes. “Stop.” The brunet finally paused but didn’t meet his friend’s gaze. “Last night you… You said you loved me.”

‘ _I do love you…_ ’

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he mumbled. He couldn’t understand why he would ever admit his feelings for his lifelong friend. So long he had kept his forbidden love a secret from everyone including Rhett. Why would he have ever admitted that which he never wanted known?

“Yeah, well you did,” Rhett snapped. “And I don’t know why you’ve suddenly decided to have reservations but my feelings for you haven’t changed.” Link yanked his arm away, glaring at the other man.

“What feelings, Rhett? There aren’t any feelings. You’re dating Jessie and I’m…” His voice caught in his throat. “I’m….”

“Link-”

“No. This was a mistake and it can never happen again. Do you hear me? I can’t… I can’t… I’m not…” He felt tears forming in the corner of his eyes but he held them back., angry at himself for allowing himself to fall apart like this.

“This wasn’t a mistake. It was unexpected, that’s for sure, but we-”

“There is no ‘we’. There _can’t_ be. It’s…. It’s not right…” Link grabbed his head, frustrated and confused. “I tried so hard to be normal-” Rhett moved forward to hold his friend but Link stepped away.

“You don’t have to hide from me,” he assured him.

“You don’t know.” Link’s voice was gruff and dejected. “You don’t know what I went through.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you in the past. I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were suffering, but I’m here now. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.” Link looked up at Rhett, his expression much softer now. “I love you, Link. I’m in love with you and I don’t regret what happened last night. Last night…” His heart did a flip in his chest, saying out loud the words that he truly accepted in his heart at long last. “Last night I realized what a fucking idiot I’ve been. I need you Link. I love you and I need you and-  
__

> __
> 
> _Link is almost asleep, his head resting on the hospital bed when Rhett finally stirs. Immediately the brunet looks up. He needs to see those green eyes, to see that beautiful face. It takes a moment for Rhett to realize where he is but he finds Link next to him and smiles._
> 
> _“Hey, buddy,” he yawns, brushing his fingers through Link’s hair. “What’d I miss?” Link can’t answer at first. Echoes of the doctor’s prognosis stir in his mind and it still hurts so much._
> 
> _“You’re… you… you need to get better now,” he manages. “The crew misses you.”_
> 
> _“I miss them too.”_
> 
> _“You’re gonna get better and… then we’ll… we’ll take a vacation. Somewhere in the Bahamas…”_
> 
> _“Link…”_
> 
> _“We don’t have to take the crew, but… maybe we should! Make an episode out of it…”_
> 
> _“Link.”_
> 
> _“Or not. It could just be the two of us. Sitting on the beach, drinking mai-tais. It’ll be the beach date you always wanted…”_
> 
> _“Link, stop.” The brunet holds his tongue, reluctantly. Rhett’s eyes look so soft, so kind. So sad. “The doctors already told me.”_
> 
> _“No.” Link shakes his head. “You’ll be just fine. You… you just need some rest.”_
> 
> _“It’s going to be ok, Bo.” At the sound of that pet name, Link feels fresh tears on his face, a fresh crack in his heart. “You’re going to be ok.”_
> 
> _“But I need you, Rhett. I love you and I need you with me.”_
> 
> _“I know. I love you too, Link. I’ll always be with you but… just not-”_
> 
> _“No.” Link can’t stand to hear it. He leans down to hold onto his dearest friend. Maybe if he holds him tightly enough, he can keep him here. Keep him safe. Maybe-_

Link grabbed onto Rhett, burying himself in the taller man’s bare chest as tears streamed down his face. His own memory snapped him back to who he used to be, but he could still feel that other Link in the back of his mind; the one who didn’t have Rhett all those years. The one who had to hide the truth from everyone for so long. The one who belonged to this timeline.

“I’m so sorry,” he keened, holding his friend tightly. It was more than an apology. He needed to hold Rhett. He was afraid of how his mind was turning, how he was forgetting his past. The other Link’s past was becoming stronger now, but a few stray memories still clung to his brain and he was afraid he’d lose them too. “I can’t believe what I became without you.”

“It’s ok, Link,” Rhett cooed. “You have me. I promise you have me.” The words hurt more than they provided comfort, the truth cutting down into Link’s heart. He thought he had fixed the present, but it was only a temporary bandage. The other Link would never let this relationship exist and he was already starting to come back.

“You don’t understand. I can’t lose you again, Rhett. I just _can’t!_ ” More confused than ever, Rhett peeled Link away to look down into his eyes, trying to figure out what he was saying.

“You won’t lose me,” he said, a slight question in his voice. How could Link doubt his conviction?

“I will. The other Link is going to push you away and then you’ll be gone.”

“What? What other Link? What are you talking about?”

“Rhett…” Link stepped away, wiping his face of tears and gunk. “I did something. Something impulsive.” Rhett reached out for him, confused but supportive.

“What is it? What have you done?”

“You’re not going to believe me…”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link takes Rhett to visit Time Spinner Madame de Épeire, both for help and to prove to Rhett that his story is true. Plans on how to fix things permanently are made.

The familiar aroma of citrus and lilac blossom permeated Link’s senses as he walked, once more, into the small shop filled with mysterious purple light. It appeared exactly like the last time he visited, but having Rhett by his side made it much more surreal, as if his friend was with him in a vivid, lucid dream. The taller man had to duck slightly to get in the door and if he wasn’t still flustered from their earlier discussion, Link might have laughed at the sight.

Rhett, meanwhile, was just taking it in for the first time. Link had told him about the small shop, but his description didn’t really do it justice. It looked like something out of a fairy tale with potions on the shelves and ornate tapestries hanging from the ceiling. It made him feel much better to be able to see that at least part of what Link had said was true, but as far as he was concerned, it remained to be seen whether or not the rest of his story held any water at all.

Not that he thought Link was lying. For the longest time he was convinced he himself was going insane from the visions he had been seeing. This time travel theory was as good as any until he found a better explanation for the conflicting versions of overlapping memory. Either that, or they were both insane, in which case it didn’t really matter what reality was, as long as they could be insane together.

“How did you find out about this place?” he asked. Link paused to think about it. His memories of the other timeline were still fading away.

“All I remember is finding a black business card in my mailbox that had some riddle on it and this address. I didn’t have anything to lose so….” He shrugged, not really able to explain why he decided to check this place out. It was almost like the decision had been made for him. Letting out a deep sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair, still slightly damp from earlier. After driving back to Link’s place both he and Rhett had taken turns using the shower to wash off the remnants of last night’s activities. While Link was able to put on a change of clothes, his tall friend had to make due with his wrinkled outfit from yesterday. It made him appear as though he had gone to a wild party last night, in his blue tux pants and wrinkled buttoned shirt.

“You look like you’ve had a rough night,“ came a voice, commenting on his appearance. Both men turned to see a short woman with large, thick glasses. Instead of her earlier spiderweb dress, she wore a dip dyed gown with hues reminiscent of a sunrise; the bright yellow top melting into orange then into red at the very bottom. Her black bandana was gone, replaced by one the color of lemon chiffon. She was standing in the doorway to the back room with a pantone-blue coffee cup in her hand. Rhett self-consciously ran his fingers through his downtrodden hair, not used to being out in public without it being put up.

“Would you like some coffee, dear?” she offered, holding out the cup of the steaming, hot liquid in offering. “Fresh cup, just for you.” Rhett licked his lips. He hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since last night and a good cup of joe sounded like the perfect idea. He nodded sheepishly.

“Yes,” he admitted. “Thank you.” He shot a wondering glance at Link as he took the cup and sniffed it. “You’re Madam Epear, I take it?” The woman giggled a bit at the mispronunciation.

“Madame de _Épeire_ ,” she corrected. “You may call me Charlotte, if that is easier to say.” Rhett took a small experimental sip. The coffee was hot, but not too hot, with just the right amount of sweetener. It tasted delicious. It was probably the best he’d ever tasted.

“Wow, this is really good, Charlotte.”

“I’m glad you like it, dear. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your timely visit, Mr. McLaughlin?” Rhett’s eyebrows show up.

“How…?” He glanced over at Link but he just shrugged.

“Who else would Mr. Neal bring to my shop?” There was a glint in her eye, and a knowing smile on her face that gave Link the impression this was more than just a guess.

“Right.” He took another sip. “I’m not really sure why I’m here. Link told me you, um… You sent him back in time?”

“I did,” she stated, matter-of-factly.

“But that’s-” Rhett stopped short. He didn’t want to insult Link by calling the theory crazy, or impossible, but Link heard the disbelief in his voice. He’d heard it for the past few hours while he tried to explain exactly what had happened. Why he was acting so strangely. Why Rhett was having those visions. Only when he found he couldn’t clearly tell the story did he decide there was only one person who could. Not to mention only one person who would corroborate his tale.

“Impossible is a relative term these days, it seems.” Madame leaned against the counter, examining Rhett in much the same way she did Link not long ago. Not judging, analyzing. Estimating. “I’m not surprised Link felt he needed to tell you everything. It won’t matter anyway.”

“Why not?”

“Because you won’t remember. Neither of you will remember any of this. It may take a few days, or even weeks but eventually you’ll both go back to your lives as if nothing has happened at all.”

“But I need to remember!” Link shouted. “If I don’t remember I’ll… we’ll…” Madame didn’t flinch, but waited patiently. “The other Link isn’t like me. He won’t accept… us.”

“Well the ‘other Link’ belongs here,” Charlotte stated, calmly. “It’s his timeline. You created it and _him_ when you went into the past.”

“I don’t want to forget either.” Rhett set down the mug. He wasn’t sure if he believed everything just yet but, he couldn’t deny what he had seen and experienced. He couldn’t deny what he felt for Link or what he knew in his heart Link felt for him, and he didn’t want to loose any of it. “It took so much just for me to remember the first time and-”

“Wait.” She raised a hand to cut him off. “You? You remember the other timeline?”

“I- I think so. It’s just feelings, flashes. Small snippets of events that never happened. At least, I don’t think they did. It’s all fuzzy and mixed up.” He rubbed his eyes, more frustrated than tired. For the first time since he’d met her, Link saw Madame de Épeire looked very surprised. She stared at Rhett for a moment before blinking.

“That’s.. That’s incredible. I knew the bond between you two was strong but I never imagined…”

“What is it?” Link interjected.

“He shouldn’t remember anything. I’ve never heard of such a thing. That’s amazing.”

“Does that mean he’ll keep the memories?” Link seemed hopeful. If Rhett could remember maybe he could help the other Link remember, or at least accept his feelings. Maybe things could get back to where they were meant to be after all. Madame shook her head as if listening to his thoughts and immediately doused that spark of hope.

“I’m afraid not,” she began. “Time won’t allow it. Eventually you both will forget. You have to. There can only be one version of events, one truth. You might have managed to temporarily recall the other timeline but eventually your memory will reset back to it’s original path. You will only know the one past.”

“I did this.” Link sunk to the floor, leaning against the side of a nearby bookshelf. He dropped his head into his hands. “I just… i just wanted…” Rhett knelt by his side, draping an arm around him.

“You wanted to save me. Link. Link, you did it. I’m here. God I… You went back so save me and I’ll always be grateful. I-” Link through him off mid sentence.

“But you won’t! You won’t be grateful because you won’t remember. You’ll forget and I’ll forget and we’ll go back to being just friends.. friends who don’t love each other like… like that and you’ll get married to Jessie and I’ll be… I’ll….” He couldn’t stand it. Why did fate have to be so cruel? He never realized what choice he’d made. To save Rhett, he had to say goodbye. To have the love of his life back, he had to give him up to someone else. It was more than he could bare. Of course he knew if he had to make the choice again, he’d do it in a heartbeat.

Rhett didn’t know what to say to comfort his friend. He sat down beside him and held him as best he could, not sure what else to do. Madame de Épeire watched on, quietly, her expression sympathetic and kind. After a minute or two, having managed to hold back the tears his face had gotten so used to this past week, Link gazed up at her, desperate and pleading.

“Please,” he begged. “You have to send me back again. I need to set it right. I’ll do better this time. I won’t mess up…”

“I’m sorry, Link,” she said, using his nickname for the first time. “You know the rules. One trip per person. Once back, once forward. Time can’t handle people just jumping about through time whenever they please. It would break the time-space continuum. I’m sorry but, that’s just how it is.” Link let out a deep sigh, trying to calm himself before he got too hysterical. He knew she was right, he just didn’t know how he was going to fix things without time travel.

“I don’t want to forget.” Rhett whispered, more to himself than anyone. “There has to be another way.” Madame de Épeire looked at him, expectantly, watching the gears turn in his head. After a moment, he gazed up at her, a small glimmer of an idea in his head. “Link can’t go back.”

“No,” she replied.

“What about me? I’ve never traveled through time, have I?”

“You have not.” A small grin started to form on her face. Link lifted his head again, realizing where Rhett was going with this.

“Rhett?” Link asked. Rhett smiled at him.

“Link, I can go back. I can go back and fix us. There has to be some time I can that could go to and make things right.”

“But when? I don’t know why that other Link is so afraid, I can’t remember his past. By the time I do…”

“I think I can help with that.” Charlotte stood up straight now and walked towards the backroom. “I’ve been watching your progress, the changes you’ve made, and I think I know just the time.” Link got to his feet as well, somewhat angry at her blase` attitude.

“You know we’d come back.”

“You’re not one to give up so easily, Mr. Neal. You visited me only twice, but I knew you’d come back again and again until things were set right, or until you no longer remembered things had changed. You’re a tenacious spirit. I admire that.” She walked towards the back door, then paused. “I have already started to prepare the elixir. I just need the proper payment-”

“I don’t have that much on me.” Link opened his wallet to double check. “Is it really necessary?”

“This business is my only source of income, and the required supplies are not cheap. Besides, I’m out of diamond dust. It's required for the spell.” She shrugged, apologetically. Rhett bit his lip. Stepping over to the woman, who didn’t seem intimidated by his height in the least, he removed a small velvet box from his pants. He had forgotten it was there all last night but now…

“What about this?” He opened the box and held it out to her. The ring inside seemed so much dimmer now that the emotion behind buying it was gone. Rhett had to face facts: he didn’t love Jessie, he never had. It was just easier to pretend and make a life with her than accepting the reality. Accepting his feelings for Link.

“Rhett,” the brunet said. “Are you sure about this?”

“I don’t love her,” Rhett explained. “I love you.” Turning back to Madame de Épeire, he asked “Will this work?”

“It should be just enough.” She motioned for the two of them to follow her as she stepped into the backroom. Rhett had to crouch quite a bit, but he didn’t have to stand for very long as Link guided him to the fainting couch that he had to lay on a few days ago. “Just need to add to the batch.” The cauldron was already filled with a familiar golden-cream colored liquid. It was as if she had known they would need it. Rhett eyed the concoction it with some trepidation.

“Just drop it in?”

“Yup. Just plot it in.”

“You don’t have to do this,” Link told him. “You can let yourself forget. Let us both forget and go back to her. I know you seemed happy… I just want you to be happy.” Instead of answering, Rhett removed the ring from it’s box and chucked it into the cauldron. Then, he took Link’s hand, pulled him down and kissed him sweetly on the lips. Link let himself melt into the kiss before pulling away, blushing furiously.

“That works too,” he whispered with a tiny smile. Rhett chuckled.

“Alright you two,” Madame giggled, rolling her eyes at the lovebirds. “Let’s get started.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Rhett's turn to travel back in time. He sees the teen that young Link became after future Link made his changes and he doesn't like what he finds.

A sharp light shone on the back of Rhett’s eyelids and he squirmed on his back. The muffled sound of birds singing confused him and he shifted to hear them clearer. As he moved, he felt blankets over his body, a pillow beneath his head. When he opens his eyes he didn’t see the purple-lit shop of Madame de Épeire. Instead he saw the familiar ceiling of his childhood room. He was back in Buies Creek. It had worked. It was crazy but apparently, it was real.

Sitting up, he looked down at his body; his sixteen year-old body. He couldn’t believe he had ever been this skinny, and he could have sworn he’d had more chest hair than this. Running a hand through his hair, he remembered having this short style but it still felt strange under his fingers. Down on his face he felt just the slightest amount of stubble. No beard, not even a chinstrap. It would take some time to get used to that.

“Wow,” he whispered. His voice wasn’t that different, maybe a bit higher. “I can’t believe it worked.” Hearing himself speak, he realized he was still speaking like his adult self. Over the years, working on YouTube and living in California, he’d lost much of his North Carolina accent. He would have to put some effort into talking ‘normally’ while in his younger body. As he looked over at the clock he checked the time. It was about half past nine. The day had just begun. The date beside the time showed late August; just a few weeks after Link visited the past.

Throwing off the covers, he climbed out of bed. Moving felt a bit off; his body a slightly smaller size and unfamiliar. He stumbled a bit getting to his feet before heading for the bathroom. In the mirror he was really able to get a good look at himself. He hardly recognized the young man he saw, and he spent a good minute and a half just looking himself over before he remembered he wasn’t here for fun.

“Remember why you’re here, McLaughlin,” he told his reflection. “You need to set things right with Link.” Nodding to himself he hurried through his normal morning routine, bathing and brushing his teeth. After a bit of thought, he decided to shave as he wasn’t quite old enough to grow anything more than a pathetic spotty beard. His ‘five-o'clock shadow’ would not be pretty at this age.

Once that was done, the thirty eight year-old man (in the sixteen year-old body) went back to his room. He had to get dressed before heading out to see his best friend. Going to his closet, he cringed at the sight. All the baggy pants and lack of quality shirts made him wonder why he ever thought he was fashionable. He already missed his skinny jeans and Henleys. Oh well.

Throwing on the tightest jeans he could find and a blue t-shirt, he ran his fingers through his short hair one last time then made his way downstairs.

~~~

He had hoped to head out right away, but he forgot what being a teenager was like. After breakfast his father had him doing chores for several hours before he could even leave. When he was finally allowed to go and visit Link, it was already lunchtime. He called the other boy on the phone, hoping to meet up with him somewhere in town.

“I thought you were seeing Lisa today,” Link said. He did not sound pleased to hear Rhett’s voice.

‘ _Oh yeah_ ,’ Rhett remembered. ‘ _I was dating her back then._ ’

“I- I was but… um,” he stumbled. “I need to talk to you about something. It’s important.”

“Must be if yer blowing off Lisa,” the other boy chuckled. “Shoot.”

“In person?”

“Whatever. Meet up at the Short Stop?”

“I was hoping we could go someplace else, if that’s ok. It’s kinda private?” There was a short pause before Link finally replied.

“Can we get some food first? I’m starved.” Rhett bit his lip. He felt so anxious to talk to Link about their relationship and their future together. Still, he had to play it cool, be normal. Eating lunch was normal. Rushing off to be alone with his best friend without telling him why was not.

“Sure. Moe’s ok?”

“You buying?” Link asked, hopeful.

“Absolutely.”

“Good. I’ll see you there in twenty.”

~~~

Rhett caught himself staring at Link as he climbed out of his red truck and walked towards the restaurant entrance. It wasn’t just that he was surprised by how much Link had really changed over the years. True in general he was the same person he had known and adored for three decades but the subtle changes that he had ignored day to day hit him all at once when he saw this younger incarnation standing beside him. His lithe body was more skin and bones than the firm muscle that he was used to. His hair shaggier, his clothing baggier, but it was more than these changes that caught the blond man-turned-boy’s attention.

There was a large bruise on the side of Link’s face, faded but unmistakable. Someone had hurt him, but not recently. At the sight of it he felt a rush of anger, and regret. He didn’t remember Link ever being beat up during high school, or getting injured on his face like that. How could he have missed it?

“You gonna gawk at me all day or are we gonna go eat?”

“Sorry, I just… um…” He couldn’t help himself. “What happened?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does. Why didn’t you tell me you got hurt?” Link gave a heavy sigh before answering.

“You were too busy with Lisa to give me the time of day.” Rhett felt a pang of guilt shoot through his heart. Had he really been so distracted to not notice his best friend had been injured?

“I’m sorry, Link,” he began. “I didn’t mean to-” The other boy waved it off.

“Just whatever, man. Let’s go. I’m hungry and you owe me lunch.” He brushed past him as if to say ‘conversation over’ and Rhett let it go. It wouldn’t help his cause if he made Link more angry at him, and he had every reason to be furious from the sound of it.

The restaurant was Moe’s Grill on Main Street. It wasn’t very fancy, but it had food that they both could enjoy at a reasonable, high schooler’s salary. It seemed several of his fellow teens had similar ideas as the place was packed, even for noon on a Saturday. It took the pair of friends some time to get a table.

“So,” Link asked. “Everything going okay between you and Lisa?” Fair question. Rhett just wasn’t sure how to answer, at first. Link’s eyes softened, his growing concern for his friend evident on his face. “Rhett?”

“Fine, I guess. I just… um, I don’t think I’m going to be seeing her anymore.”

“Why not?” There was a very slight hint of hope in his voice as he asked. A tiny sound of elation at the news. If Rhett hadn’t known better, he probably would not have noticed it.

“I’m just not interested in her. I’ve been thinking about, uh, going in a different direction.”

“What does _that_ mean?” Before Rhett could answer, the waiter came by to take their orders and the blond boy took the opportunity to ignore the question completely. He wasn’t ready to dive into that conversation just yet, not in public anyway. Link, on the other hand, wasn’t ready to let it go.

“You going with someone else?” he asked, a few minutes after the waiter left.

“Why would you think that?”

“Well, I don’t know.” Link threw his hands in the air in exasperation. “I don’t see you for three weeks and all of a sudden you call me up, saying you have something important to tell me. Then you tell me you’re not interested in Lisa, a girl you couldn’t _wait_ to go with, but you won’t tell me why? I mean, jeez, Rhett. One minute you don’t have a second to hang out with me ‘cuz you’re necking Lisa and the next you’re, what?” Rhett tensed, fearing what Link might say next. The brunet scrunched his face, trying to figure the situation out. “She seeing someone behind your back or something?”

“No… I don’t know. I don’t care.” Rhett glanced around nervously, as if anyone in the busy establishment would be wasting their time eavesdropping on two teenage boys in the corner. Even Link’s raised voice wasn’t raising eyebrows in the boisterous atmosphere of the place. “I don’t want to talk about this here, okay?” Link considered this for a moment before shrugging. He wasn’t going to let it go that easily, but he was willing to leave it be for now.

They mostly ate in silence, their meal occasionally interjected with snippets of chitchat. Nothing big, just small town gossip. Rhett got a better handle on what life was like back in his teenage years, and especially current events. There was much he didn’t remember and he wanted to make sure he could pretend he was the same old Rhett if anyone asked. Link, meanwhile, seemed embarrassed by his earlier outburst, but while he didn’t want to apologize or explain, he didn’t really need to. Rhett understood completely, now that he knew what had been going on in that young head.

‘ _He’s trying to figure out his new found feelings, just like I was. He’s scared and confused, and he feels all alone._ ’ Rhett wished he could talk to him now, hold him close, or at least hold his hand so he would know he wasn’t alone, but he couldn’t. Not here. Not yet. It was strange seeing Link this way. The first time they were this age, Rhett had been completely oblivious to his friend’s emotional turmoil, so absorbed in his own. So desperate to ignore anything that might lead him astray. He was so busy hiding from himself, he couldn’t see the truth right in front of him. No wonder this Link’s future self wanted nothing to do with their love.

“Will you stop staring at me, already?” Link snapped.

“Sorry,” Rhett muttered. He hoped he wasn’t blushing as he quickly looked down at his meal. He hadn’t meant to be staring. Again. This was going to be harder than he thought.

After a somewhat awkward lunch the two of them headed back to their respective vehicles. Despite the uneasiness between them, they managed a light conversation. Unfortunately, Rhett couldn’t hold back asking about Link’s mark again. He just had to know.

“I mean, was it a punch?” He dearly hoped not, but the truth was far more harsh.

“Not exactly.” Link ran his palm over the tender skin. “I think it was a heel.” Rhett stopped in his tracks.

“Someone _kicked_ you?!”

“Yeah.” The brunet couldn’t meet his friend’s gaze, instead staring at the ground, looking as if he wanted it to swallow him whole.

“Who? W-why?” Rhett reached up instinctively to caress Link’s cheek, but the other boy pulled away.

“They’re assholes, that’s all.”

“Tell me who and I’ll-”

“There’s nothing you can do, okay?” Link insisted. “I’ve tried fighting back. It doesn’t help. That’s how I got _this_.” He pointed to his face. “It’s best just to ignore them… By the way if my mom asks it was a soccer ball.”

“Oh, Link.” Rhett wanted to hold his friend so badly, but he couldn’t. He knew he couldn’t, and that made it so much worse.

“Yeah, shut up, alright? It doesn’t hurt anymore anyway, so just shut up.” Shuffling on, he reached his truck only to lean up against it, still just watching the dirt beneath his feet.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“They would have beat you too, Rhett. Just ‘cause you’re tall doesn’t mean you can fight.”

“I know, but… still. I should have been there.” He leaned next to Link and while he couldn’t touch him without breaking the social rules, he could tell that just being next to him was helping. “Maybe they would’ve gotten tired out beating me up and not have any punches left for you.” There was a subtle trace of a smile on the shorter boy’s face. A smile of gratitude for the sentiment.

“Maybe.” They stood there, staring off at nothing for quite sometime, just enjoying each other’s presence, letting the unspoken friendship so many years in the making wrap around them like the security blanket it was. Finally Link cleared his throat. “So where to next?”

“Uh,” Rhett hesitated. He hadn’t really thought that far ahead and he was beginning to regret being so impulsive. Planning ahead had always been Link’s strong point, not his. Plus he was having a hard time asking for time alone without sounding weird.

“While you were off with Lisa I found a new abandoned house we could go look at.” Link suggested, kicking at the dirt with his toe. “I mean, you said private and I ain’t never seen no one up there.”

“Sounds good.” It sounded perfect. No one would ever interrupt them there. “You lead and I’ll follow.”

‘ _I’d follow you anywhere, buddy._ ’


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett tries to fix the past but his visions of another life strike him again.

The road up to the abandoned house ended a hundred yards short of the place itself; they had to walk the rest of the way on foot through increasingly dense forest. This wasn’t the first time they had wandered off the beaten path to explore places not meant for people to visit. There were many times, when they were younger, they could have been found in such dangerous, dilapidated buildings. It was a thrill to venture into seemingly forgotten places where no one had been in years. There was excitement in the adventure and a thrill in the danger.

It was also a great place to go where they could be alone; away from the prying eyes of their peers and the annoying voices of adults. There they could be themselves without anyone nagging or judging. Such places seemed so few and far between these days and those that remained were precious indeed.

Link mindlessly swung a stick at the tall grass as they made their way through the brush. He was just starting to grow in a goatee. Rhett remembered him sporting that for much of high school and beyond. It wasn’t a bad look, it had just been so long since he’d seen him with it. Rhett remembered wondering what it would feel like to kiss someone with a beard, if it would tickle or be too scratchy to be pleasant. Now he tried not to think about it. Maybe it was the excitement of (what felt like) new found love, something rediscovered back in the future, or maybe it was being back in his teenage body with raging hormones, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to think about much else.

At least, anything that was appropriate.

The old house was a two-story craftsman-style house that had been boarded up ages ago. A white notice hung on the front door marking it as condemned and unsafe for human habitation. Such signs were never a deterrent, more of an invitation if anything. They simply cried out for boys such as Rhett and Link to come on in and investigate.

The once bright yellow paint was faded and cracked, looking more like mossy vomit than warm sunshine. The large bay windows were broken and covered with boards to keep out vagrants and curious troublemakers, but of course kept out neither. One of the side windows had been cleared of wood and debris, leaving a perfect opening for the rogue squatter or the passing group of teens. Rhett wondered if Link had come here by himself when he discovered it; if he had been alone. These deserted homes where hazardous, to say the least, and he feared what harm could have come to his friend without someone to look out for him.

“Careful,” he warned, as Link pulled himself through the broken window. Link rolled his eyes.

“I got it, just come on.” He dropped inside the house without another glance back, disappearing into the darkened room beyond. Younger Rhett wouldn’t have hesitated to follow, but years of experience and the common sense that comes with age gave this Rhett pause. Taking a deep breath, and reminding himself he could handle it, he pulled his body up and in. There was no turning back now. Besides, he had to keep an eye on Link.

The entire downstairs was devoid of furniture, save for the built in cabinets in the kitchen. Even the large appliances had been ripped out long ago. The wallpaper was faded on most of the walls, peeling everywhere else, and the carpet was ripped and stained. The ceiling over the fireplace had caved in; floorboards from the upstairs hanging precariously into the living room as if they could fall at any moment, blocked off with a plastic tarp, ragged and torn. No wonder this place was condemned. It looked like a death trap.

Link stepped carefully over some debris that had been swept into a large pile in the kitchen as he made his way to the what must have once been the dining room. An old light fixture hung, lifeless and cracked, over the center of the room. Rhett followed close behind into the main hallway between the living room and the stairs to the next floor. The entire building creaked with every strong wind but his friend seemed completely unafraid of the potential collapse.

“You came here by yourself?” Link nodded.

“Yeah. I didn’t want…” he shrugged helplessly.

“I’m impressed. This place is pretty creepy. Not sure I’d want to go in here by myself.” Rhett shuddered as he looked around. From the corner of his eye he saw that subtle smile cross Link’s face again. While his younger self may not have been aware of how much words of affirmation meant to his best friend, Rhett had long ago learned a little praise could go a long way.

“Yeah well…” Link cleared his throat. “So what’s going on with you and Lisa? You gonna explain that now?” Rhett nodded slowly as he walked about the room, collecting his thoughts. He had to tread carefully now. One bad step and this trip to the past would be all for naught. He tried to put himself in the mind of his younger self, to put how he once felt into words without the doubt that had once plagued his conscience.

“I’ve been thinking-”

“Uh oh,” Link joked, but Rhett let it go.

“Lisa is nice and all… I just felt like… Like I wanted to… be… with someone else.”

“Some other girl catch your eye?”

“Not exactly.” Rhett knew he wasn’t being clear, but he couldn’t be. He had to dance around it, let Link come to the conclusion on his own. Maybe then he would admit his own truth, let his own feelings be revealed. Unfortunately Link was being incredibly obtuse about the whole thing.

“What then? You’re not making any sense.” Rhett sighed and met his friend’s gaze again, growing slightly impatient now.

“I’m trying to tell you I have a crush, okay?” A mirage of emotions washed over Link’s face. Surprise, disappointment, confusion. Sadness. He turned away and walked into the living room, near the fireplace. Another strong wind rushed past the house and Rhett would have sword the entire house swayed slightly to one side.

“Okay. So? So what? You’ve had crushes before. Why is this one such a big deal?”

“I need your help to… to find out if…” Rhett swallowed, nervously. “To find out if… h-he likes me too.” Link froze in place. He was still facing away so Rhett couldn’t read his expression and Rhett dearly wished he could. Stepping closer he feared touching him, least he freak out if he wasn’t freaked out already. “Link?” Link didn’t move.

“He?” he asked, softly.

“Yeah.” Another pause. Then Link exploded in fury.

“What? You want me to hook you up with some guy? Are you even serious?!” He turned and faced Rhett, his face twisted in angry sorrow. “I would have expected this from Trent or Brendon but not from you.”

“Huh?”

“You think I’m an idiot? You drag me out into the middle of nowhere-”

“You picked the place-”

“-to get me somewhere alone so that I would admit I was gay?”

‘ _Well, when he put it that way…_ ’

“Link I’m trying to-” Link wave both of his hands to silence Rhett, not wanting to hear whatever explanation he was about to offer.

“I’m not gay! I’m _not!_ ” His voice cracked as he shouted, but he didn’t back off. “You know you’re just like the rest of them. Bunch of… fucking assholes. I thought you would believe me. You’re…” He sniffed back a tear. “You’re my best friend, Rhett. Why would you do this to me?”

“Link I didn’t… I wasn’t trying to trick you. Honestly. I’m trying to tell you the truth.”

“What truth?”

“I’m… I like _you_ , Link. _You’re_ the guy I like.” Link stared at him, panting hard from his earlier rage and now he couldn’t seem to settle into any emotion securely. Part of him still thought this was a trick, a sick joke meant to humiliate him, but he couldn’t deny how dearly he wanted it to be true. How much he needed this to be real.

“No,” he finally said, taking a short step back. “No you’re… you’re messing with me.” Rhett followed, but kept his distance as if his best friend was a wild animal. He definitely looked like an animal, being trapped in a corner.

“I’m not messing with you, I promise.” He reached out a trembling hand to comfort Link, but the brunet dodged out of the way. As he moved back, he tripped over something on the floor. His arms flailed wildly, trying to grasp onto anything that might keep him from falling to the ground and his fingers found the thick, plastic tarp hanging overhead. Unfortunately it did nothing to slow his fall and, in fact, started coming down with him on his way down. It and the large 2 by 4s on-top of it.

Rhett had only a moment to react as the ceiling came crashing down around his friend. He didn’t need to think about it; he reacting completely on instinct. Shouting a warning, he lunged forward, caught hold of Link’s arm and pulled him roughly along with him to the side. They hid their faces as a huge plume of dust rose through the air, wood and brick falling down right next to them. For a moment they couldn’t see anything and the only sound was the two of them coughing. Rhett didn’t let go and as the cloud faded away, Link found himself toe to toe, face to face, with a somewhat dusty sixteen year-old boy holding him by the arms.

“Link,” Rhett began. “You have to be more careful.” He used one hand to brush the small amount of dust that managed to collect on Link’s hair while the other kept a gentle grip on Link’s arm. They had managed to avoid most of it on their faces by turning away and it didn’t look like either of them had been seriously injured thanks to Rhett’s quick instincts. “Maybe we should find a different house to explore.” Link didn’t answer. In the chaos and surprise of being grabbed, his own hands had found their way to Rhett’s sides, at first to hold himself steady. Now he found that he didn’t want to let go.

“Thank you.” His voice was quiet, wavering. Adrenaline was rushing through his veins, and not just because his life had possibly just been saved. Gazing up at the green eyes just inches away from him, he no longer cared if this was a prank or not. Slowly he inched his palms up Rhett’s sides. “Is.. is this really real?” Rhett smiled a tender, caring smile.

“It is. You don’t have to say that you feel the same way. I just wanted you to know how I feel, and I _care_ about you, Link. I care _for_ you. A great deal.” Link’s hands kept going, traveling around to Rhett’s back and pulling him ever so slightly forward. Rhett took the hint and leaned forward, but stayed just far enough away that the other boy had to make the leap. After a second or two, Link took a chance, closed the short gap, and gently kissed Rhett on the lips.

__

> _  
> Shaking fingers delicately caress lines slowly across Link’s skin. So scared to be doing this; so afraid it would end. Rhett’s breath comes in short, shallow bursts as he brushes his lips over the other boy’s neck. They are standing behind Syme Dorm, hiding behind a row of trees. It’s late; the only light shines from a nearby street lamp but it’s aura barely reaches the two young men in their early twenties. Dark clouds hide the moon and stars above. They’ve come here many times in the past. No one comes here, not this late. It’s one of the few places on campus they can be alone._
> 
> _It’s nearing the end of senior year. Soon they will have to leave N.C. State to venture out into the real world and they weren’t exactly eager to make the crossover. These four short years have been the best of their lives. It was here they found each other. It was here they found themselves._
> 
> _“Don’t forget me,” Link whispers._
> 
> _“Never,” Rhett replies with a smile. They both know they’ll still be able to see each other, working at jobs only a few cities apart, but there’s a magic in the air that spurs them on. A drive to hold one another like it was the end of the world._

Rhett wrapped his arms around Link, holding him in a tight embrace. The gentle kiss grew more passionate as he felt into familiar movements, a practiced dance he’d learned over years of being with Link. His lips were confident, commanding, and they knew what they wanted. As he pressed on, Rhett forgot he was supposed to be an unexperienced teen kissing a boy for the first time. He forgot Link was still the same. As his hands moved to touch every inch of the shorter boy they could touch, Link felt a rush of fear course through his body and he shuddered before pulling away sharply.

“No, no this is wrong. We can’t do this.” He wrapped his arms around himself and looked down at the floor between him and Rhett.

“Link-”

“No,” Link repeated. “Please.” Sad eyes gazed up at Rhett. “Please don’t make me do this.”

“Link, I… I just wanted-” But Link didn’t listen. He didn’t want to; he couldn’t. Rushing past Rhett, dodging his once again outstretched hand, Link ran out of the room. He didn’t look back as he made his way to the window, to the outside world, and didn’t say a word as he escaped back into the light. Alone and dejected, Rhett knew it was useless to follow. The damage was done. The best thing he could do now would be to wait. Link just needed some time.

He just wished he had more time to give him, but time was running out.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A promise is made, an oath is written.

Link’s truck was gone by the time Rhett got back to the road, which came as no surprised but still hurt. Where Link went was a mystery but hopefully he wouldn’t completely hide away he couldn’t be found. The afternoon was almost over and each minute lost felt like another nail in the coffin of their relationship. Rhett couldn’t sit by and be idle while there was a chance he had messed everything up for good. There would be no going back to try again.

There wasn’t much to do but to start the search, one place at a time, and the first place Rhett could think Link might go would be his own house. He was still just a sixteen year-old boy and home meant familiar. Home meant safety. If he wasn’t there… Rhett didn’t want to think about that. Buies Creek never felt bigger than when he desperately needed to find his friend.

Luckily for him Link’s truck was in his driveway. It was about time the two of them had a stroke of luck. Pulling in behind the vehicle, Rhett wondered if Link would even speak to him after that fiasco. He couldn’t entirely blame him if he never did again. Of course, he hoped that wouldn't be the case.

Hope or not, it wasn’t Link who answered the door when Rhett rang the bell. It was Sue, Link’s mother. She gave a weak smile to the boy before her, but there was worry in her eyes, as if there was something wrong but she still wanted to be friendly.

“Hello, Rhett. Are you here to see Link?” Rhett nodded. “Were you with him earlier?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Sue looked like she wanted to ask more but then stepped back to let the boy inside.

“He’s in his room.” Rhett knew the way.

The door to Link’s room was locked, of course. Rhett knocked on the door but there was no answer. He leaned against it, listening closely, but he heard nothing. Looking around to make sure no one was close by, Rhett spoke softly to his friend.

“Link?” No answer. “You in there buddy?” Nothing. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for… for what I did. Please let me in. Please, Link?” Still nothing. “Please…” Rhett waited for awhile before giving up on talking his friend into opening the door. He couldn’t think of anything to say that he felt comfortable discussing with Link’s mother in possible earshot. There had to be another way.

Rushing out to his car, Rhett found the backpack he used for school. It sat crumpled up in the back seat, usually forgotten until needed for the next school year. Inside there were even a few supplies, unused during the summer. Grabbing up a notebook and a pencil, he sat down in the front seat and began to write.

_Dear Link,_

_I’m sorry for pushing you too far. I meant what I said. This wasn’t some sort of prank to trick you into confessing anything. I just wanted to let you know how I feel and tell you that if you felt the same way that it was ok too._

_Please don’t be mad. Please don’t hide from me. You don’t ever have to hide from me. I know you’re scared. I’m scared too, but I always feel braver when you’re with me._

_I love you._

_I always will._

Folding up the paper, Rhett rushed back inside. Sue didn’t say anything as he sprinted back to Link’s room, just let him go. He looked like a boy on a mission. At Link’s door, Rhett knocked again but of course, Link didn’t answer.

“I know you have every reason not to want to talk to me, but at least read this. Please?” He slid the note under the door and waited with baited breath for Link to respond. He listened closely again but he didn’t hear the sound of paper being picked up. His friend was, apparently, ignoring his notes too. ”Please, Link.” Still nothing. “Look. I know I screwed up, I’m sorry. Please read the note. If you hate me I… I’m going to the creek. To our meeting place? If…” Rhett glanced around to make sure Sue wasn’t in earshot. “If you feel the same I’ll be there, waiting. If you don’t come then I… Then I’ll know.” He waited again for some sign, some indication Link was even listening, but there was none.

“I’ll wait for you there,” Rhett whispered, leaning his head against the door. “As long as it takes.” Finally, he pulled away. He could feel tears beginning to form and he didn’t want Link’s mother to see him cry. He didn’t want to explain why he was crying at his best friend’s bedroom door. Hoping against all hope, he trudged back to his car. It felt like everything depended on Link’s decision.

The next move would have to be Link’s.

Rhett was scared he had messed everything up, but he also had faith in Link. Faith that his lifelong friend would be brave enough to take the leap. Faith that they would still end up together. It was that faith that kept him going, despite the fear. Link had done so much in the past to make sure they stayed together, he wouldn’t fail them now. Rhett had to believe it.

The walk from his car to the river never seemed so far. Rhett couldn’t remember the last time he traversed these familiar paths by himself. He felt an empty place by his side, the place where Link should be. The place where Link should always be. His left hand felt cold without Link’s hand to hold it. His left side felt naked, exposed, without Link to stand by it. If this was life without that man with him, he hoped to god he didn’t have be without him for long.

Buies Creek. The river ran past Keith Hills Golf Course, alongside a large cow pasture on the southern edge of the town. It has always been their sanctuary, a little haven they could always go to and feel free. Rhett wasn’t sure why, but this place meant more to him than any other location on the planet. More than anywhere else, it felt like home. Tonight, he knew, it would either stay that way, or become a place of regret and sorrow.

Or it, too, would be forgotten.

He had grabbed his notebook out of his car. As a backup plan he decided to write a note to his younger self telling him about what happened. That way, if Link didn’t show up at least the other Rhett could make take matters into his own hands and fix things himself. It was the only other idea he had and it was better than nothing. On a small hill overlooking the river, sat two giant boulders, one slightly larger than the other. Often they had come here as boys and over the years as they grew into young men. They had developed a system where one boy sat on the larger rock; the speaker, the idea man. The other sat on the smaller rock; the listener, the one who could only ask questions. It was a simple and effective system.

Now Rhett sat on the smaller seat. He had said enough. He had done enough. Now he only wanted to hear what Link had to say, if anything, and all Rhett wanted to do was ask questions. Do you forgive me?

_Do you love me?_

Minutes ticked by. Hours. It felt like years as Rhett sat and waited. It gave him time to think about what he was going to say to his younger self and, as time went on, he did just that. He took the paper he had brought with him and began to write. At first he wanted to write down everything that had happened from the day he started having flashes of the other timeline. He wanted to tell him about how Link had traveled back in time to save his life. How he himself had gone back to save their relationship. In the end, he realized all that stuff would just complicate and confuse everything, so he just wrote with his heart. In the end he just wrote what he felt mattered the most.

The sun was getting low in the sky as he finished. He hadn’t even written half a page but after choosing each word carefully, it had taken longer than he expected. He was looking up at the moon already starting its long trip across the sky, feeling as though he wasn’t ever going to see it again, when he heard footsteps approaching behind him. Turning he saw Link, flashlight in hand, heading up the hill towards him.

Immediately Rhett smiled. He wanted to run up and hug his friend but he held himself back. Going too far too fast was what landed them in this mess in the first place. Instead he settled for a warm, comforting smile, and a short wave. He watched, heart pounding and hands sweating, as the young boy came up and sat on the large boulder across from him.

There was silence between them. Link hadn’t spoken a word since he had arrived and even now didn’t look like he knew exactly what to say. He chewed on his lip, nervously, his hands wringing together in his lap, but Rhett waited. He was on the small rock; it wasn’t his place to speak first.

“If this is going to be just… an experiment,” Link began. “If this is just you testing out how it feels to be with a guy because you want to feel good then… Then I don’t want to have anything to do with it. Because I couldn’t take it.” Rhett bit his lip. It wasn’t his turn.

It wasn’t his turn.

“But if this is real…” Link looked into Rhett’s green eyes, his own blue ones so wide they held the entire universe in their gaze. “I don’t understand the way I feel. I’m not supposed to like boys this way. I’m supposed to like girls but… No one makes me feel this way except you. It kills me everyday to just to look at you. To see you smile, to see you happy. To hear you laugh. But it also makes me live. It’s like… before I didn’t feel anything. At least, that’s what it seems like. I feel so much now it’s like I’ve never felt before. I live because… because you exist. I feel alive because I… I love you… and I’m dead because you don’t love me back…. Because I thought you didn’t love me back.”

“Do you believe that my feelings for you are real?” Rhett asked, when Link finally fell silent.

“I have to. It’s my only chance but… I don’t know if I can… let you love me. If I can let myself love you. What if you change your mind? What if you find someone else and leave? Everyone always leaves.”

“Link, I-” The blond boy had to stop himself before he said something without asking a question. He wanted to tell him why he understood Link felt that way. His mother had already been divorced twice now. It had to be hard when so many people in his life were pulled away. He wanted to say so much but rules are rules. “What can I say to prove to you I’ll never leave you? What can I do so you know this love is for real, and forever?”

“I don’t know, Rhett. I’m guess I’m looking for more than just a few kind words. I need a promise, but more than a promise…” Link shrugged turned to watch the sun heading ever closer to the horizon. Rhett looked as well. It was a beautiful sight, seeing the blazing sun melting the colors of the stray clouds, and his best friend bathing in its fading light. It was lovely, but it was also sad. A harsh reminder of the time running out. He palmed the folded sheet of paper in his pocket: the note he left for his younger self, to tell him what he needed to know.

“Can we switch now?” he suddenly asked. Link thought for a moment, not turning back, before nodding with a soft sigh. Quietly they changed places, with Rhett on the larger rock and Link on the other. “I have an idea.” Picking up his notebook, cast aside earlier after he’d finished his note, he opened it to an unmarked page. “We’ll make a blood oath.”

“What’s that, exactly?”

“It’s like a vow, but stronger. It’s an unbreakable promise, one we swear to keep no matter what.” He ripped out two pages. One for Link, one for him. They would end up saying the same thing but this way Link would have one, and never doubt Rhett’s feelings for him. The other copy would be for the Rhett of this timeline, so that he would know this happened. So that he would understand that this was important.

“We’re going to write it down? But what if My mom finds it? I don’t want her to know that I… that we….”

“We don’t have to say love. We can make it more vague. As long as we know what it means, that’s what’s important.” He thought for a moment before starting.

_I, Rhett James McLaughlin… </i> “See I sign here?” _and I Charles Lincoln Neal… _“And you sign here…”_

_Promise to always be the very best of friends, colleagues and partners in whatever we do._

__

__

We agree that no matter what, we’re going to do something awesome and we’re going to do it together.

_Nothing will pull us apart, and our friendship will continue forever through solidarity and dedication._

“How’s that?” Rhett asked. Link looked at the two pages, matching contracts that promised their continued friendship, if nothing else. At least if they weren’t always in love, at least they would be together, that’s all Link really needed.

“Perfect. We just sign now? What makes it a blood oath, though?”

“Oh, um.” Rhett glanced around, helplessly. “I think we have to.. Uh, cut ourselves…” It took him a moment to find a piece of glass on the ground to use, from a bottle discarded long ago, but eventually they had each sliced a small line on their palms. Link flinched, but didn’t waver. He held out his hand bravely as Rhett took it in his own.

“Though life or death may try to pull us apart, I, Rhett McLaughlin, promise to fight to my last breath to keep us together. All I ask is that you let me.”

“I promise.” Link smiled, and his friend thought it was the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. As the sun set, and it’s rays faded from the river, Rhett could feel the pull of sleep pulling at his mind. It wasn’t the soft pull of exhaustion. It was time pulling him away once more. He was ready to go. He was scared to go. He wanted to kiss the boy beside him, fearing that it may be his last chance, but he didn’t know if he would let him. Taking a deep breath, he dared to ask.

“Link?”

But then the sun was gone. And so was he. His visit to the past was over.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new day dawns, we find out what Rhett wrote to his teenage self, and Rhett makes one more promise.

Rhett felt his mind slip back and forth in a wavering mix of conscious and unconscious as he slowly came to. In the brief moments before he fully emerged from the dreamworld, he rolled over in his bed, his right arm instinctively moving to grasp a sleeping figure beside him. He didn’t open his eyes but frowned with disappointment as he found nothing there. In this california king-sized bed, in his California home, he was alone.

His eyes drifted open and over the space beside him. This wasn’t right. As he slowly became fully awake, his memories converged on his present self. The last few days came rushing back, he remembered there should be someone lying beside him. He wasn’t supposed to be sleeping alone.

“Are you going to lie in bed all day or are you going to get up at some point?” Rhett looked up to see a six-foot man with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes leaning against the door frame leading into the master bathroom. His hair was damp and plastered onto his forehead, and he had a toothbrush in his left hand while his right hand was holding onto a white towel wrapped around his waist. “Well?”

“What time is it?” Rhett mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

“Time to get up,” Link quipped with a crooked grin. “Come on man, daylight’s a-wasting.” As the brunet headed back into the adjoining bath, Rhett ran his eyes over the man’s back, still glistening with droplets, and his butt which looked so good in that towel. He greatly regretted not waking up earlier when he could have showered with him.

“I’m up,” he fibbed, closing his eyes again. He just wanted one more moment of soaking in the reality of his life. Moments later he felt a soggy towel hit him square in the face. Holding back a laugh, Rhett pulled the towel away just in time to see Link’s bare butt dash into the bathroom. Cocking an eyebrow Rhett flung the covers off his own nearly-nude body. “Oh, it’s on now.”

Grabbing up the towel, he nimbly jumped to his feet. He could hear Link giggling in the other room and made a mad dash to find him. As he entered the bathroom, he found it apparently empty, but Link’s giggles coming from behind the shower curtain immediately gave him away. Still, Rhett was happy to play along.

“Where’d ya go, Link?” he asked in a singing tone. Reaching carefully for the shower curtain, he ripped it back causing Link to squeal with both surprise and excitement. Still, the naked brunet had not been completely unprepared or unarmed. He already had the hand-held shower spigot pointed right at Rhett and with the turn of the facet, sent cascades of water spraying out over his friend. Rhett sputtered and wiped his face but for a moment he couldn’t see anything. He could, however, hear Link laughing maniacally right beside him.

Following Link’s voice, Rhett grabbed at him, managing to get hold of his right arm. They fumbled for a few seconds, water spraying everywhere, before the taller man was able to pull the nozzle out of his friend’s hand and get his arms around him, pinning them to his sides. Link squirmed a bit more, but he didn’t really want to get free, not with their bare chests pressed together, their drizzled bodies separated by only the thin cloth of Rhett’s underwear.

“Got ya,” Rhett declared, once he could see again. Link chuckled.

“Yeah, you got me.” He smiled up at Rhett, his blue eyes sparkling so bright and his smile even brighter. Rhett wanted to bend down to kiss that perfect smile, but he had to double check first.

“I love you, Link,” he said, quieter than he intended. Link tilted his head and his smile grew softer.

“I love you too, Rhett. Always.” Rhett couldn’t stand it. He pecked Link lightly, at first, then pressed a bit harder. Link welcomed the kiss, and that just made him want to go further. This was the Link that he could touch, that he could have and love. This was _his_ Link. After a moment, the brunet pulled away. “You keep that up and we’re going to be even more late for work.”

“And why is that?” Rhett teased, not letting go.

“Oh, I think you know.” Link bucked softly against Rhett’s groin, and he moaned deeply from the sensation. They were both fairly hard and the feeling of having Link’s erection rub up against his was driving him insane.

“I want you,” he groaned. Link gave him a swift, chaste kiss before stepping away.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have slept in so late, then. You’ll have to wait until later.” Rhett followed close behind and wrapped his arms around the man from behind, hugging him gently.

“Maybe I don’t want to wait,” he whispered in Link’s ear. “Maybe I want to take you right now. Maybe I want to keep you and hold you and never let go.” Link leaned back against Rhett’s collarbone, sighing with the thought.

“I want that too, Rhett. Believe me, but we really do have to-” Rhett spun him around and kissed him again, a gentle, passionate kiss, and suddenly Link saw stars. It had been awhile since Rhett had kissed him like that.

“Maybe I want to spent the entire day just lying in bed with you, worshiping every inch of your body.” His baritone voice was low and sultry, and Link’s resolve was quickly melting away. “Maybe I want to slowly run my tongue over your skin, everywhere it can reach just to taste every part of you. Maybe I want to make love to you in every position you can think of, tenderly, passionately, with reckless abandon until neither of us have the strength to even stand.” Link licked his lips and swallowed hard.

“Maybe?”

“Definitely.” Link thought about this for a moment.

“I guess we could be a little bit late…” he said with a smile. Rhett couldn’t agree more.

~~~

It was a couple of days later that Jen was going through the various mail items sent by fans when she came across a very strange package. It wasn’t very big and upon opening it she found a second, smaller box inside accompanied by a folded piece of paper. After some quick investigation to the contents of the second box, she decided to go show it to Rhett. Normally when she found items to give to Rhett or Link they were kept secret until presented on the show, but this was different. This seemed slightly more important.

“Rhett?” she asked, heading into the office he and Link shared. He was sitting at his desk, working, when Jen came in. “Can you take a look at this?”

“What is it?” The blonde woman held up the box and the note attached to it.

“We got this in the mail. I thought you’d want to open it privately.”

“Uh, ok. Thanks.” Taking the small, velvet box, Rhett turned it over, examining it closely before turning to the note. It was a small piece of lilac-colored paper, folded over twice into a simple square. He unfolded it carefully to reveal a short message written in elegant, black, cursive. It was obviously done by hand, but the script was neater than anything he’d seen before.  
_  
Dear Rhett McLaughlin,_

_I am a new fan of your daily talk show, Good Mythical Morning, and I would like to congratulate you on yours and Mr. Neal’s success as of late. I see great things in your future and I look forward to you experiencing them for yourselves._

_If you ever find yourself in need of my services again, don’t hesitate to call. In the meantime, I believe I owe you one ring._

_Warmest regards,_

_Madame Charlotte de Épeire_  
  
Inside the box was a polished band of titanium with engraved beveled edges. It was gorgeous and Rhett smiled at the sight. For a moment he forgot Jen was still standing there, waiting for a response.

“Hey, Jen? Um, do you think we could rig the wheel of mythicality? I have something I need to do…”

~~~

Later that day, as the crew was setting up for the last recording of the day, Rhett was standing off by himself, holding a wrinkled piece of notebook paper in his hands. His hands were shaking slightly, nervous for what was to come, but as he looked over the words scribbled on the page before him, he knew there was no way he was going to back down now. These words gave him confidence and removed all doubt in his mind. They always did, ever since high school.

_To Rhett,_

_Things are confusing right now. I get it. I remember being you. I remember feeling what you’re feeling._

_There are good times ahead, and bad times, but no matter what you must never forget_

_You love Link_

_You’ve been told many times how it’s wrong to feel this way towards another boy, but it’s not. It’s more right than anything else in your life, now or ever._

_I’m not saying you should shout it from the rooftops, even though there will be times you’ll want you. You’ll have to hide the truth from almost everyone you know until it’s safe._

_But not from Link._

_Link has been through some tough times. You need to be there for him. Care for him. Protect him._

_Love him._

_No matter what happens, never forget that you do love him, and he loves you too. Don’t forget to show him how much he means to you whenever you can._

_The time will come when you can be together without hiding, but until then just stay by his side and everything will be alright._

_Don’t forget._

_You love Link and he loves you._

_This is the most important truth you’ll ever know._

_-Rhett McLaughlin._

As he read the note over for perhaps the millionth time, Rhett nodded to himself. He had found the note in his pocket one day, in high school, and though he didn’t remember writing it or even planning to write it, those words… they were right. They held the most important truth he ever knew, or ever would. While he had long ago lost the blood oath that he and Link had drawn up, this note he had kept safe, protected. The message, apparently written to himself, had gotten him through some tough times and he kept it to remind himself of what was really important. What mattered most to him in the entire world. He made a promise to himself that he would always remember. Today he was ready to make a new promise.

“Rhett?” Drew was saying, shaking his boss from his thoughts. “We’re ready to start.” Link was already at the desk, fixing his hair in the camera.

“Just a sec.” Rhett folded up the old paper and tucked it into his left pocket. Just before headed over to take his spot at the GMM desk, he patted his other pocket to make sure that small little box was still there. He really didn’t want to mess this up.

The episode recording went smoothly, a simple list episode without much excitement but as Link pulled the Wheel of Mythicality into place, Rhett held his breath. He could see the wheel ending that had been added and Link, speaking about clicking through to Good Mythical More, was completely oblivious to the spot. It was near the bottom so the audience couldn’t see it either. With one fluid motion, Link spun the wheel and, after a moment, it stopped. Normally Rhett would read it, but he wasn’t even looking at the wheel now. He stared at his hands, rubbing them slowly over the desk. Without missing a beat, his co-host took over, reading the words carefully aloud.

“Rhett… proposes… to… Link.” He shrugged. “Alright.” He was nonchalant, thinking this was a suggestion sent in by one of their many fans, but as he turned to roleplay with Rhett, he saw his friend of over thirty years bending down on one knee, a small box in his hand. Link’s heart stopped.

“Link, I feel like I’ve run out of ways to say how much I love you, and I can only think of one true way to show you.” Rhett opened the box, revealing the silver band inside. “They say time is an illusion, but as long as we have memories, yesterday remains, and we’ve made some wonderful memories together. As long as we have hope, tomorrow awaits, and you’ve always given me hope even during my darkest days. As long as I have you, today is perfect, so all I need is you. I think time is real, Link, and I want to spent the rest of mine with you.

Link?” Link’s eyes were watering so badly he had to remove his glasses to wipe them clear. “Link,” Rhett repeated, taking the other man’s hand in his own. “Will you spend the rest of your time with me? Will…” He was trying not to cry now too. “Will you marry me?” Link wanted to answer with something witty and smart, but he could only think of one word to say.

“Yes.” Both men let their tears fall as they embraced each other tightly. “Yes, yes, yes, yes.” As they pulled apart, and Rhett placed the band on Link’s finger, they both knew that this time…

This time they could finally live happily ever after.

  
**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> To read more fics that aren't on ao3 yet, please visit my tumblr page:  
> http://totallyrhettro.tumblr.com/rhinkfics


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